The Rehab Recluse
by kingsymie
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha has been released from a Psych Rehab back in the care of his parents. Determined to win his ex-wife Ino back, Sasuke meets a recently widowed, sex addict, Sakura Haruno who asks him to help her design her new house in exchange for delivering his letters to his ex-wife. The two become closer and soon, Sasuke, Sakura begin examining their relationships. (COMPLETE)
1. Sasuke

**Rating:** T  
 **Themes:** Romance, Drama, Humor.

 **Based on:** Silver Linings Playbook.  
 **Summary:** Sasuke Uchiha has been released from a Psych Rehab back in the care of his parents. Determined to win his ex-wife Ino back, Sasuke meets a recently widowed, sex addict, Sakura Haruno who asks him to help her design her new house in exchange for delivering his letters to his ex-wife. The two become closer and soon, Sasuke, his parents, and Sakura began examining their own relationships with each other and cope with their problems. _**(ONGOING)**_  
 **Characters:** Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, Fugaku Uchiha, Mikoto Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha, Kizashi Haruno, Mebuki Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, Sai, Hinata Hyuuga, Tsunade Senju, Neji Hyuuga.

 **Special Note:** Sasuke and Sakura are extremely OOC in this story in certain parts but also IC. Yes, this story is VERY similar to the original movie. I really admire the original and wanted to adapt it into an SS fic for so long. Now that I have finally been able to I would really advise you to read the entire story first and THEN watch the movie and NOT the other way around because then you can envision things better and probably enjoy it more. Much love. Also if you are going to hate on me in the review's section and calling this plagiarism in any way well then go about it. This is more of a tribute to both the movie and this fandom than copying. I am not making anything out of this. 

**Chapter 1**

"What are you kidding me? Sundays, I love Sundays. Mom make's Tadashi's grilled tomatoes and Omurice, Dad puts the jersey on and we are all watching the game. Yeah, it drives me crazy, and yes I was negative. You didn't even know that I loved it or you before Ino-" Sasuke gets cut off from reading the note he is holding by a knock on his door.

"Come on, time to go!"

"-I lost all that, I blew it. But you also blew it, and we are going to get it back. I am better now, I hope you are too and I would appreciate-"

*knocking on door*

"Doctor's waiting let's go!"

"I'll be there in a minute okay, I'll be there in a minute" Sasuke sighs and looks at the note again before continuing. "-That's true love."

Sasuke stares out of his window and the room in which he stands in is sparsely furnished; A bed with white linen, a desk with book stacked on it in the corner and a small notebook from which he reads. His bedside table has a lamp and bottle of Gatorade on it and a couple of running shoes stuffed beneath the bed. There is a cupboard that contains all his clothing and a huge hand-made sign saying, 'Excelsior' can be seen on the wall right beside it. He turns around to stare at it before pacing out of the door.

He skips down the stairs after confirming his attendance by the attendant who visited his room before and stands in a queue to get his medication. It is always the same, Ariprazole and Clozapine. Once he gets his turn he takes the small cup from the attendant's hand and swallows the two capsules in one go and pulls his tongue out to reveal to her. She nods and he walks out only to spit out the medication after he takes several strides across the hallway towards the group therapy room.

"And I told my mother I loved her as much as I loved Ramen, but nope she did not agree with me. She took away all of it. All my instant cups, my stir fry's, my special edition cups. Everything. I had to obviously get out of the house, steal a couple of things here and there. Eat out sometimes, and well then she found out. She got me. She had me committed here because of my tendencies to lie and go into hyper anxiety episodes now and then. But I am pushing, I am really pushing through. And in these past few weeks, I have really felt the results of my perseverance brim through the surface." A beaming young man in his early thirties sitting amidst the circle of people in group therapy spoke. His blonde cropped hair dusted his forehead and cerulean eyes shone excitedly.

"Good, very good this time Naruto. I am glad you are making that progress you speak of and feel like you are very close to terminating the issue at hand, which is your addiction and resorting to unnecessary actions that lead you to hurt other people," A blonde woman seated right in the corner spoke out, her dark topaz pupils eyed the clipboard in her hand before roaming around the circle of people.

"How about you Sasuke? Would you like to share something with us today?"

Sasuke's raven locks enshrouded his perplexed and nervous expressions while his fingers fidgeted, legs jerking around restlessly.

"I, uh well, I just feel that anything's possible. I think we get, we often get caught up in the state of negativity. It's like poison, it's nothing else," he finally responded before collecting his thoughts. His raven locks still enshrouding his expressions and his flush pink lips curled upward, twitching into a corner after he completed speaking.

"Lovely thought isn't it you guys? I really appreciate you coming forward with that and sharing it with all of us, Sasuke. Very positive indeed." The blonde woman spoke in encouragement turning her head around addressing everyone.

The group therapy session finished and every single soul sitting there dispersed leaving behind Tsunade, the blonde woman who jotted hastily on her clipboard. Sasuke trod his way out accompanying his friend Naruto who were both plunged into a conversation about the basketball game that was airing that night. Tsunade's eyes gave a final stare as the two walked out, her eyes boring into their backs.

Sasuke was on the lawn outside doing push-ups, his Gatorade sat not a few feet away and Naruto was playing cards with another patient named Lee. Sasuke was on his second rep, and each rep consisted of fifty push ups each. He had been training to stay in shape since he'd put on some weight ever since Ino had filed for divorce when he was in his first month of recovery at the clinic. He'd been depression eating his way into feeling better, but it only reflected on the little paunch he grew and soon he decided to fix that. He'd go on running laps every day, sometimes ten, sometimes twenty. It was all about how positive he felt that day. He'd easily lost forty pounds and looked very lean. In fact, his muscles were very toned and he looked more muscular than he was before.

"Hey, you gonna get over here and join us or what?" Naruto wailed at Sasuke placing an ace of diamonds on the stack before Lee dropped his cards and held his temples foiled due to his loss.

"I am sorry, but I prefer to do more effectual things," Sasuke smirked while picking his towel and Gatorade, wiping his forehead and then drinking the energy drink.

"Uchiha! Someone here to see you," a brunette cried out from the stairwell walking into the lawn, beckoning him. Sasuke stared once at Naruto and curled his lips in curiosity and then followed her into the clinic.

Mikoto stood in the hallway arguing with the blonde woman about something and Sasuke's eyes widened at her sight, all he could hear were repressed mumbling and tense hollers before Mikoto pressed her arms to her chest crossing them and the blonde woman finally gave in.

"Mom? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, dear you look so much better," Mikoto brought both her hands to hold Sasuke's face and stared intently into his obsidian orbs, lips curling into a peachy smile.

"Dr. Tsunade, what's going on?" he inquired before placing a hand on his mother's and shifting it down.

"Your mother here is persistent on getting you discharged," she responded to his query before her eyes trailed in the direction of Naruto and Lee skipping through the double doors inside and staring at her before they waddled away snickering inconspicuously.

"What does this mean?" Sasuke inquired once again demanding her attention until Tsunade's eyes trailed back up at him.

"Well, technically you can take him out against our recommendation, but you assume a lot of liability in the eyes of the court. And he's getting used to the routine here-" she began explaining.

"-I don't want him to get used to the routine here! Eight months is long enough," Mikoto cut her off sounding a little miffed.

After a series of paper work, Sasuke retreated to his room and packed all his belongings before giving the room one last look and plucking down the 'Excelsior' sign off the wall and walking out.

"Hey mom, can we give Naruto a ride to North Konoha?" Sasuke asked his mom who was only pulling out of the parking when she saw a blonde hair, blue eyed man standing in the way.

"What? I don't understand." She responded.

"Oh no, it's fine, it's fine. He got discharged along with me," he replied, easing her.

Naruto stepped onto the back side and opened the door, slipping inside with his small suitcase.

"I guess everybody's leaving today." He commented and greeted Sasuke's mother who only gave him a customary smile.

"Hello Mrs. Uchiha, an honor to finally meet you. Sasuke's told me a lot about you, how God made you rich in character, that you're the mighty oak that holds the household together." He finished beaming with euphorically before turning to Sasuke who glared at him scornfully.

They began driving down the freeway before taking the cut for North Konoha.

"Naruto was in for assault due to his addiction and hyper anxiety. He served in the psychiatric hospital and then joined rehab to get treated for his addiction-" Sasuke began explaining.

"-Bad combination I'll tell you, Ramen and Hyper anxiety. My mother just couldn't stand my violent tendencies anymore. She had to call the cops on me," Naruto cut him off, Mikoto gave him an uncomfortable smile.

Mikoto's phone rang.

Mikoto slowed the car down to respond to her phone, "Hello,"

"Yes I did, yes,"

"What? Are you sure about that?"

"I'll bring him back right away." She flipped her phone shut and turned around agitatedly.

"You lied to me Sasuke, Naruto isn't allowed to step out of the rehab."

"All right mom, just hold on a second-" Sasuke placed his hand on the steering wheel whirling it away from him back onto the main road while Mikoto was heading to a curve road to turn her car around. They were about to ram into another car before it took off speedily avoiding being grazed before honking several times.

"DO NOT TOUCH THE STEERING WHEEL!" Mikoto exclaimed exasperatedly before skidding to a halt. She sighed heavily and stared out of the window before speaking.

"Sasuke, this whole thing was a mistake. I am out on a limb for you with the courts right now-"

"It's my fault, it's my fault. Take me back to the rehab, but please take Sasuke home with you. I'll be back out in a couple of weeks anyway." Naruto stepped in owning up to his mistake.

Mikoto sighed again before turning towards Sasuke and Naruto both and then restarted the car, turning it around back to the rehab.

They pulled into the driveway of the Uchiha residence. Sasuke pulled his things out from the car in the cardboard boxes he'd packed them in and walked into the lawn. He stood in front of the mansion, staring at it for a while before his mom beckoned him to come inside.

Fugaku and Kakashi were arguing about the outcomes of tonight's basketball game betting on their favorite teams and bickering about who would win.

Sasuke stepped inside and put the boxes down beside the stairs. His eyes lifted up to gaze at the two portraits of him and his brother. Unfortunately, he found his portrait taken down and placed along the wall leaning against it while Itachi's hung isolated. He turned inside to look at his father and Kakashi arguing passively.

"What? What's this?" Fugaku exclaimed shockingly.

Fugaku turned towards him before gasping and then strode past Kakashi after handing him his drink and hugged his son.

"Where is it?" he asked tugging at Sasuke's neckline and pulling out an Uchiha fan pendant out from his shirt and placing it deftly onto the fabric.

"You still got yours?" Sasuke inquired before Fugaku pulled out his and they both shared a smile.

Fugaku held onto Sasuke's biceps while gazing alternatively between Mikoto and his son, "What you don't tell me you're bringing him back home?"

"Well, he's ready" she responded.

"You didn't tell Dad you were picking me up?" Sasuke turned towards his mother turning a puzzled eye.

"I just wanted to make sure that when you come out you were OK, she didn't tell me anything," Fugaku turned towards Mikoto, "You didn't say anything."

"The court said yes, it's alright. Don't worry, dear." She responded before placing a hand on each other their shoulders before pulling into a hug. Kakashi simply stood there mirthfully looking at the happy reunion before clearing his throat a few moments later.

"Uncle Kakashi!" Sasuke exclaimed before pulling him into a hug.

"Man you sure have grown a body in there, what were doing, arm wrestling the inmates?" Kakashi asked jokingly.

Sasuke's turned slightly irate with the apparently sarcastic comment before making eye contact with his mother who tried to soothe him.

"So Dad, what are you doing with yourself?" Sasuke inquired turning towards his father who took a seat on the plush beige couch and tossed the newspaper into his lap.

"Oh, we just got this new contract. It's worth a lot and well Itachi has already started the ground work on it. Trust me, this is the biggest project we have been handed out in months-" he began explaining.

"Oh yeah, and how did you afford all this?" Sasuke spread out his arms directing at the chandelier, carpets, and teak cabinets.

"Like I told you, we have been getting quite a few projects. Itachi's been working really hard at-"

"From your fraudulent work? All the sand you have been stuffing into people's houses instead of cement? The fake wood flooring you sell people as oak wood? Is that where all this is coming from?" His arm remained in the same position as he glared at his father who shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Fugaku turned to Mikoto who herself turned around to look at Sasuke before shifting her gaze to her husband.

"Who told you that?" Fugaku asked Sasuke.

"Mom did, outside" Sasuke responded.

"No-no I didn't. I didn't say it like that." Mikoto added in, Kakashi shifted awkwardly and seated himself in the lone chair placed to the right of the couch.

"Mom you just told me outside, what are you talking about? You told me, 'Don't say anything, Dad's duping people of their money and doing fraudulent work on his contracts'" Sasuke justified himself.

"Why Mikoto, why'd you say that to him?"

Mikoto shifted uneasily and lowered her gaze.

"Everything is fine, Sasuke. I am just worried about you. So tell me what are you going to do right now, where are you going to get a job? Are you going to start getting back into construction work and get a few contracts?"

"Well yeah, I got into shape and now I am going to be working solo from here on. My own terms, my own contracts. I am gonna show Ino, that I am a better man and that we can still live in our house together like old days." Sasuke responded allayed.

Mikoto, Fugaku, and Kakashi exchanged glances and gasped simultaneously before Fugaku spoke.

"Sasuke, Ino sold the house. She left. Didn't your mother tell you-"

"Let me tell you something Dad, you don't know anything about our marriage. Our-our marriage, we were very much in love okay?"Just like you two" Sasuke sounded agitated.

"Listen, Sasuke, Ino is gone now, she's not around anymo-"

"Dad what are you doing? What, what are trying to do-" 'Sasuke broke off before gaining back on his thought, "You know what, EXCELSIOR. Excelsior. That's right-"

"What does that mean?"

"It mean's you know what I am gonna do, I am gonna take all this negativity and I am gonna use it as fuel and I am gonna find a silver lining. And that's no bullshit that takes work and that's the truth." He exclaimed before rushing up the stairs.

The whole day went by without Sasuke's parents intervening in his activities in the tool shed behind their house. Sasuke was a professional carpenter, he did contracts for house remodeling and structural changes but you couldn't call him an architect. Back in the day when he worked for his father, he was undermined and always over-utilized for his efforts when it came down to laying out the groundwork. Unlike Itachi who would scathe at his improvement and steal his ideas. Fugaku somehow always honored Itachi's action as they tended to bring in more money because Itachi would find more viable and feasible solutions to Sasuke's plans sometimes even bordering on fraudulent. Sasuke seemingly got miffed and walked out of his father's company to pursue private contracts and this was exactly when his bipolar syndrome got worse. He would lash out terribly at Ino, they would have violent shouting contests and then it all finally came down to her cheating on him with Sai.

The next day, Sasuke woke up early and munched on a tomato before stepping outside for a jog. On his way back home, he saw his father jogging down to the same and they both turned toward the porch before Mikoto stepped out pulling out the car keys.

"Come on Sasuke, let's go!"

"What, what do you mean?"

"Come on Sasuke, we have to go for your therapy. We are going to be late!"

"I don't want to go to therapy!"

"You have to go, it's part of the deal. You can't live with us and not go, now let's go!"

Sasuke walked defeatedly towards to passenger door and yanked it open.

He entered the reception on the office signing himself in before freezing in his step, the song- 'Stevie Wonder- My Cherie Amour' was playing the reception and could be heard from the speakers.

His eyes turned here and there hysterically before clearing his throat, "Is that song really playing?"

"We have music sometimes," the receptionist answered.

"That song is killing me. Could you please turn it off?"

"I can't, I don't have the controls."

"Is there a speaker here, is the speaker here" he frantically paced about the room jerking the magazine stand and flipping it over.

"I am sorry, I am sorry, I'll fix this." He responded to his deliriousness before grabbing the magazines from the floor and staring at the people looking at him as he fidgetted around pacing uncomfortably, his facial expressions alternated between agitation and desperation.

Tsunade stepped out of her office glaring at him and the mess he had made before beckoning him inside.

"That was a messed up thing you did you know, that was a messed up thing. I am sorry I messed up your stuff out there, but that-"

"I am sorry, I just wanted to check if that song was still a trigger for you-"

"Well, Bravo! It's a trigger for me. I am not gonna take any meds okay. No, no I am not-"

"You have to take your meds, Sasuke."

"It makes me foggy, look I am not the explosion guy okay, My dad is the explosion guy. We got kicked out of that match because he beat up people, I mean he was on the exclusion list. I had one incident-"

"One incident is quite a lot, it can change a lifetime."

"I am ready. I am ready to take responsibility for my side of the street. She should be ready to take responsibility for hers."

"What's hers?"

"What's hers? Are you joking? Let's go back to the incident because you have so certainly forgotten. I come home from work, which I never do but I came back early but I got into a fight with a worker back at my garage. I come home, and what's playing but the song from our wedding, the song you so charmingly played for us in the reception out there. So I walk around and I find pieces of clothing lying, and a guy's pants with a belt in and I see the DVD player and in the DVD player, there is the CD playing our wedding song. And then I look down and see my wife's panties on the ground and I look up and see my wife naked in the shower. I think, 'Oh that's sweet, she's in the shower what a perfect thing, oh I'll go in there and 'maybe I'll go in there. We never fuck in the shower, maybe today we will.' I pull the curtain back, and there is her fucking best friend I always hated because he'd always eye her slyly and you know what he says to me? He says, 'Maybe you should go'. So yeah, I snapped. I beat him to death. But what, I get chastised for it? Get compared to my father? I don't think so"

"Alright let's go back to some thing before and after the incident."

"About a week ago, I called up the cops complaining to them about a scheme in which my wife and that guy were planning against me trying to embezzle money out from the office they worked in which," Sasuke pauses to look down into his lap and fidgets, "wasn't true, it was a delusion. I'd made it up. I had later found out from the clinic that's because I am uh-"

"Undiagnosed bipolar." Tsunade completed.

"Yeah, with mood swings and weird thinking brought down by work stress, and that's when the shower thing happened. I snapped so, I'd realized I'd been dealing with this my whole life so I've basically been white knuckling it this whole time."

"That had to be hard."

"Yeah, especially when you don't know how to deal with it and know what the hell is happening, which I do now. Well, sort of."

They stared at each other for a moment before Tsunade scribbled in his clipboard.

"You have to take your medication," Mikoto was arguing with Sasuke again in the kitchen. Fugaku sat in the front room reading the paper.

"No, it makes me feel bloated and foggy,"

"You have to take your medication, or I'll call them-"

"Why would you do that"

"Why don't you just take the medication?" Fugaku intervened their argument in the kitchen.

The doorbell rang and Fugaku paced through the room to answer it. Sasuke followed.

"Hey can I do an interview on my report here for my school on Mental Illnesses?" a brown haired kid stood in the doorway asking Fugaku.

"NO!" Fugaku shouted before slamming the door in his face while Sasuke peaked through to see who it was.

"Was that Might Guys' son?" he asked.

Fugaku strode into the front room again and picked up his newspaper before retreating into the lawn through the back door in the kitchen.

Sasuke pulled out of the house angrily and started running across the road. His mom walked into the patio and shouted, "Sasuke, don't go after Ino!"

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke kept running and ignored her wailing. Fugaku joined her on the patio and stared at his son who had almost disappeared into the distance.

He ran block after block before he reached where he wanted to. The red-bricked Cape cod house he had once spent months designing and constructing looked impressive from the distance but brought back painful memories to his mind. He stood there watching a woman lay her baby in a stroller and driving it through the backyard before pulling out onto the road, halting to stare at him.

"Can I help you?"

"Uh, yes do you know where the person who sold this house to you lives?"

She stopped to gaze at the man from his shoes to his hair.

"You're her ex-husband. I can't give you that information. Last I heard she got a restraining order against you." She responded disturbingly.

His eyebrows furrowed and he gave her a puzzled look, "Well yeah you could call me her ex-husband but I am looking for her. It is very important that I see her."

She just stood there befuddled and confused to respond. Her baby started wailing and cooed at her, "You should go."

The resemblance in her tone to the tone Sai had once used brought him back into reality. He turned around and started running away, tears threatening to stream down his cheeks as he wiped them away furiously with the sleeve of his grey hoodie.

"Sasuke!"

"Hey!"

A man in a spiky ponytail waved at him as Sasuke halted before his house. He opened his arms into a hug as they stood there staring at each other.

"Welcome back man!"

"Yeah,"

"I miss you man almost didn't recognize you, you've lost a lot of weight, miss playing those shogi games with you. I am glad you're back. You gotta come see the baby, he's beautiful. Come on over sometime, Temari wants to make dinner for you."

"Congratulations on the baby, but I am not buying your invitation."

"'Cos you think Temari still hates you?"

"I know Temari still hates me,"

"It's not true,"

"Yes, it is, Ino always said, Temari always keeps Shika's social calendar where she keeps his balls, in her purse."

"That's not true."

"Shikamaru, what are you doing?" Temari wailed out of the front door.

"Well okay, maybe it's a little true. But if you think she still hates you, why would she want me to invite you to dinner?" Shikamaru asked Sasuke.

"Did you invite him?" Temari continued wailing.

"Yeah," Shikamaru answered.

"Well, can he make it?" Temari asked persistingly.

"I don't know yet." Shikamaru shifted his gaze between Temari and Sasuke.

"See you next Sunday?" Shikamaru asked Sasuke.

"Sure," Sasuke responded.

"Well, see you next Sunday."

"Are you guys still in touch with Ino?" Sasuke inquired, turning halfway around back to the road.

"Yeah."

"Great, see you next Sunday!" He replied eagerly.

Sasuke stepped inside the house and walked into the kitchen only to jerk back hearing the door bell.

Fugaku got up to answer the door before Sasuke side stepped him and opened the door first.

"Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha. I got a call asking me to check on your house. I am officer Kotetsu and I heard about the restraining order from a worried citizen of the neighborhood, telling me you went to visit your old house a few blocks away. Now, sir, you can't do that kinda thing, I have been assigned to your case so you're going to be seeing a lot of me. Please respect the restraining order, 500 feet."

"You hear what he say, you have a restraining order-"

"Yeah, dad I heard what he said."

"If there is anything you need, here's my card." The officer handed Fugaku a card.

Sasuke angrily clasped the door shut before walking upstairs rashly. 

_**A/N: If you feel offended in anyway due to my choice of inspiration. Please PM me and I will make the required changes in my next chapter. Till then, Ciao!**_


	2. Sakura

**A/N:** **Sorry about any spelling errors, I wrote this in a hurry to update for you guys to read ASAP!**

 **Chapter 2**

Sasuke paced back and forth exasperatedly in his room upstairs. Fugaku's eyes tilted up staring at the constant thudding sound coming from the roof of the living room, he narrowed his eyes turning them towards Mikoto. Mikoto was sitting on the couch knitting while the TV was on and Fugaku switched channels, his foot flipped back and forth repeatedly and Mikoto cleared her throat. When Fugaku didn't take note of her indirect annoyance she voiced it.

"Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"That. Your feet tapping. Stop it."

"Hn."

Mikoto rolled her eyes and her lips curled upside down into a frown. She put her knitting equipment aside and walked into the kitchen. Sasuke skipped down the stairs and joined her. He pulled a ripe tomato off from the produce she had carefully taken out of the fridge and bit into it.

"Hey!"

He ignored her wailing before picking up the phone receiver in the kitchen. He turned to his mother without dialing in the digits into the receiver.

"I know why they invited me over, I know why they-"

Fugaku entered the kitchen and interrupted him.

"Listen she might be with that, that guy."

"Oh no, way"

"She might be with him. She's too afraid of you Sasuke," Fugaku pulled the receiver from his grasp.

"No way!" Sasuke yanked the receiver away from Fugaku's hand and pressed it back to his ears.

"What do you mean? Sai... no last name guy?"

"Put the phone down, don't be like this." Fugaku yanked the receiver from his hand a few times and they began a power struggle over who grabbed the receiver.

Mikoto put a hand on her mouth consoling, whimpering in aphasic tones almost on the verge of crying.

"Stop it you two! Sasuke listen to your father."

The three of them stood still in the kitchen staring at the floor as Mikoto wiped a tear that threatened to fall down.

Sasuke and Tsunade sat in an irritable silence. It was Day 5 of therapy today and only a couple of day's away from the Sunday dinner over at Shikamaru's and Temari's.

"Tell me one thing, would you like to be a guy who goes back to jail or to the hospital?"

Sasuke shifted in his sofa anxiously.

"Hm? So take your medication and if you do fine. We'll reduce them." Tsunade nodded in insurance.

"Ino is waiting for me to get in shape and get my life and order and she's gonna be with me, and that is better than any medication"

"Sasuke there is a possibility and I want you to be prepared for it; that she may never come back or want to be with you, maybe never return. True love is about letting her go and seeing if she returns, in the meantime when you listen to that song I want you to try not to fall apart, so get a strategy okay, you need one." Tsunade motioned her hand, opening her palm.

"Let me just say something, can I say something?"

"Okay,"

"This is what I believe to be true, what I learned at the hospital. You have to do everything you can and you have to work your hardest. And if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." He stared blankly at Tsunade.

Tsunade cleared her throat and looked at her feet before responding.

"Work on a strategy okay?" Tsunade got up and motioned him to move out. They walked over to the door before she opened it.

"So my friend Shikamaru here is having a dinner and invited me over. It's a real hoity-toity thing and his wife Temari is a real stickler for, well I don't know-" He spoke as they both moved out of the door.

"So well my mom got me this outfit from GAP that she wants me to wear, but I really want to wear this jersey my brother Itachi got me from the Konoha Kings."

"Which jersey?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Dario Kiroki."

"Dario Kiroki is the man."

Sasuke smirked in satisfaction and walked out of the office.

It was the night of the dinner. He dressed himself up and bought a bouquet of white carnations and a wine he picked up from his parents' cellar.

He rung the door bell and immediately regretted it, walking back down the stairs in the porch.

"Sasuke! What are you doing?" Shikamaru stepped out of the front door, placing both hands on hips.

"I gotta go, man,"

"Why"

"I can't stay, come on. I made a mistake I shouldn't have worn that."

"Dude, you're fine, I like that jersey, I would have worn that jersey."

"I feel like an idiot"

"Are you comfortable?"

"And Temari's not gonna like it. Plus you got a tie on."

"Get over here, you are the guest of honor. You come here however you wanna come over here."

"Really?"

Sasuke and Shikamaru stepped inside the opulently decked house. Minimalistic and Bauhaus inspired furniture adorned the reading and living rooms.

"Dario Kiroki is in the house!" Shikamaru shouted to alert Temari.

"You mean rookie of the year? Dario Kiroki, Dario Kiroki" Temari cooed to her baby, Shikadai.

"Ahaaha, you wore a jersey to dinner." Temari recited awkwardly. Sasuke froze in his stance on the stairs hearing the comment.

"Isn't it awesome?" Shikamaru asked his wife.

"Not for dinner," she replied.

"Look he got us flowers, and wine," Shikamaru said holding up the bottle and pointing to the bouquet in Sasuke's arms.

"Ow, oh that's sweet that's sweet Sasuke."

They walked into the rooms upstairs and Shikamaru pointed to the seating room, "Check this out, we redid the whole thing."

"Wow," Sasuke's eyes widened at the sight of the perfectly crafted furniture that sat in front of them and the faux fur coated chairs and the minimalistic fire place.

"I am thinking about redoing it again."

"Why?" Sasuke's eyes widened in wonder.

"Well, just because. Plus this time I'll ask you to do it. I am making a lot, I can't complain."

"Sure but isn't the market down though?"

"Yeah but this is the time to strike, we saw snapping up commercial real estate, cheap, you flip it over, you flip it over. And that's when you make the money, but the pressure? Man, it's like-" Shikamaru gasped, almost in tension.

"You okay?"

Shikamaru shifted slightly and tilted his head to watch if Temari was near them before responding. Sasuke followed his gaze.

"Well don't tell anybody,"

Sasuke nodded in reassurance.

"I feel like I am being crushed, "

"Crushed by what"

"Everything the family, the baby, the job. And the fucking pricks at work. And it's like you know. It's like I am trying to do this, and I am like. Suffocated!" Shikamaru palmed his face.

"Holy shit,"

"You can't be happy all the time."

"Who said you can't be happy all the time?"

The doorbell rang downstairs and Temari opened the door and someone walked in. Sasuke and Shikamaru's attention turned in the direction of the sound.

"I hope you are okay with Temari's friend coming over. You okay with that?" Shikamaru craned his neck forward, his hands placed on his hips.

"Who?" Sasuke's brows fuzzled.

"Temari's friend, Sakura Hyuuga,"

"Sakura and Neji?"

"No now just Sakura, Sakura Haruno. Neji died."

"Neji died?" Sasuke's squinted his eyes in disbelief.

"Yeah, cops die. Don't bring it up."

"How did he die?"

"I just said-"

"How did who die?" a voice came from behind them. A woman in her late twenties walked into the room where the men stood dressed in a slightly revealing knee length dress that shone her cleavage somewhat. Her nails were painted black and her smokey eyes made her emerald irises pop out. What was the most unbelievable fact was the color of her hair? A stark pink, rose colored strands falling inadvertently framing her heart shaped face, her hair tied up in a messy bun. Her not so revealing cleavage was although highlighted by the black cross she wore as her necklace. It somehow guided your gaze down her chest onto her peachy skin and seemingly soft bosoms and then further down to black suede pumps.

"Hey, Sakura. This is Sasuke, Sasuke this is Sakura." Shikamaru introduced them.

Sakura strode instantly towards them before halting in front of Sasuke. Shikamaru pulled into a half hug before motioning her to Sasuke. Sakura turned to Shikamaru before receding from the hug and smiled slightly before facing Sasuke. Their eyes met in a blazing stare, Obsidian orbs met emerald and suddenly the temperature in the hot felt warmer. Sasuke tugged at the neckline of his jersey seethingly. There was an awkward silence for about three seconds.

"You look nice," Sasuke finally spoke.

"Thank you," she replied.

"Oh I am not flirting with you,"

"I didn't think you were,"

"I just saw you made an effort. I am gonna be better with my wife, I am working on that. I wanna acknowledge her beauty, 'cos I never really used to do that. I am gonna do that now, cos we are gonna be better than ever, me and Ino. Just practicing. How did Neji die?"

Shikamaru who stood behind Sakura cringed seemingly and placed a worried hand on his forehead, eyes squinting in stress. Sakura's apparent smile turned into an awkward frown while she lowered her gaze to the expensive oak wood floor.

"What about your job?" Sasuke asked her after noticing her annoyance. Shikamaru motioned his hand to his neck horizontally, jerking it back and forth repeatedly signaling him to "not ask".

"I just got fired."

"Oh really, how? I mean, I am sorry. But how'd that happen?"

"Does that really matter?" Sakura bobbed her head from left to right in annoyance.

They stood there glaring at each other clumsily.

"Baby, hows it going?" an excited Temari entered the seating room intervening their awkward moment, asking inaudible questions to Shikamaru.

Sasuke stared intently at their new guest. The rose haired goth chic, who looked seemingly irritated right from the moment she entered the room. His eyes darted to her black painted nails that sat on her bicep as she crossed her arms defiantly, to the cross hanging loosely from a chain over her slightly revealed cleavage and then back to her face and the smokey eyes.

"We are gonna go on a tour now, let's go on a tour, you guys." Temari wailed excitedly and gestured them to come inside.

"Let's go see the house," Sakura stated to Sasuke after clearly noticing his unpleasant stares.

"I have been planning this forever, I love our house, I love our house. I am really excited about it." Temari continued talking as the rest of the party followed her into the master bedroom.

"Guess what it is?" Temari asked them after pointing to a glass extension in the wall.

"It's a television," Sasuke replied.

"Nope."

"A computer screen," Sakura answered.

"Keep going, keep going."

"It's a brick oven," Sasuke answered.

"Oh Oh Oh, warmer."

"It's a lighter. It's a drawer to pull out dead bodies to shoot them with formaldehyde," Sakura responded irritatedly.

"Where'd the body go though?" Sasuke asked Sakura.

"It's a joke!" Sakura replied, peeved.

"It's a fireplace," Temari replied lighting the brick floor, watching the fire extend inside the glass lined fireplace.

They all walked into the bathroom Temari asked them to come into, it was lined with light gray fur on the floor and, pearl white faucets and glassware, dark gray tiles all over the walls.

"Give me an iPod. Give me an iPod," Temari asked them excitedly.

Sasuke and Sakura shrugged.

"Who doesn't own an iPod?"

"I don't have an iPod, I don't even have a phone, they think I am gonna call Ino, which I would by the way." Sasuke turned to Shikamaru gesturing. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I know you would. Don't worry about it. I'll give you my iPod don't worry." He pulled out an iPod from his trouser pocket and gave it to Temari. Temari put the iPod in the dock in the wall and the speakers started playing a very gentle sound. Like a lullaby.

"We have a port in every room." Temari spread her arms in awe.

"Can you play "Ride the lightning" by Metallica?" Sasuke asked Temari.

Temari's eyes widened in a daze.

After receding into the dining room, Shikamaru pulled Sasuke into the corner gripping his forearm tautly.

"Don't bother her anymore with silly questions alright?"

"What silly questions? I was just being nice to her and trying to get to know her. You know, socializing?" Sasuke's lips curled in evidence.

"If you call that socializing, you gotta work on that."

He let go of his arm and walked into the kitchen to help his wife.

During dinner, they made pleasant conversation and invariable small talk.

"You know, Sasuke here does a lot of construction work, specifically furniture and house remodeling. I mean you show to see that Cape cod he built himself for Ino and him before uh-" Shikamaru paused before taking another bite into his steak.

Sasuke's eyes lowered to his plate while he munched away.

"Really? I was actually hoping to find someone in that field of work since I'll be moving out of my parent's house soon. So I was looking forward to getting work started on this land I bought fifteen miles from here," Sakura spoke.

"Where exactly?" Sasuke asked.

"Oh it's in North Konoha, or probably bordering it."

"Yeah, yeah. Sakura she bought this beautiful plot overseeing the lake. I am thinking more like a cabin sort of a feel to your house, eh?" Shikamaru intervened.

"Maybe. Or maybe just another regular house. I wouldn't know, I'd have to ask a few architects to come by and check it out for themselves and tell me what they think." She responded.

"I wouldn't mind checking it out." Sasuke offered.

Sakura's eyes darted towards him, he was chewing into a tomato and celery while his eyes met her and she awkwardly retired her gaze.

"That's interesting, yeah Sasuke could use an effective project. We'd even want him to work on our property next year right, Temari?" Shikamaru added turning to face his wife.

"Mhm, sounds great. Maybe after New Year, we could work on it." Temari approved.

There was a sober silence before Temari brought them dessert and Sakura spoke again

"What meds are you on?"

"Me, none. I used to be on Lithium, Seroquel, and Abilify. But I don't take them anymore. They made be foggy and bloated."

"Yeah I was on Xanax and Effexor, but I agree I wasn't all sharp so I stopped taking them."

"You ever take Klonopin?" Sasuke shoved a spoon of the lavender ice cream.

"Klonopin, yeah." Sakura nodded in validation.

"Right, yeah. Like what day is it?" They giggled in accordance.

"Hahaha"

"Have you ever taken Trazodone?"

"Trazodone?" Sakura asked confounded.

"I mean, it flattens you out. You are done, I mean it takes the life right out of your eyes." Sasuke brought his fingers to his eyes squeezing and springing them open.

They sat in silence once again, swallowing the soft lavender colored ice cream. Temari looked at Sakura worriedly.

"I am tired, I wanna go," Sakura announced before pulling up and standing.

"What what are you saying? We still haven't seen the back yard and pool yet," Temari pointed her hand to a glass frame door overlooking the back yard.

"Did you not hear me? I am tired."

Temari looked puzzled.

"Are you gonna walk me home or what?" Sakura turned towards Sasuke who was gulping on another spoon of ice cream.

"You mean me?" Sasuke turned to face her.

"Yeah you, are you gonna walk me home? It's dark out there."

"You have poor social skills, you have a problem" he responded.

"I have a problem? You say more inappropriate things than inappropriate things. You scare people."

"I tell people the truth, You are mean."

"Well, I am not telling the truth?"

Shikamaru looked tensed before adding in, "Should I drive them home both separately?" looking at his wife.

"No, no, you can drive them both home now."

"Stop talking to us in the third person," Sakura responded agitatedly.

"I am not talking about in the third person, I just wanted to have a nice-just wanted to have a nice dinner," Temari replied.

"God!" Sakura exclaimed.

"What is your problem?" Temari asked.

"Nothing is my problem, I am tired and I wanna go."

"Guys, the baby is sleeping." Shikamaru pointed at the living room.

"Sorry I didn't want to wake the baby up."

Sakura grabbed Sasuke by the arm and jerked him to move outside. They shoved out of the door walking awkwardly into the porch. Sakura's heels clunk sharply, Sasuke's eyes narrowed at its sight as she made her way along his side into the foot path turning right.

They walked a good 500 meters before she spoke. "This is me." They stood before a white wood cottage style house with a back house.

"Listen I haven't dated since before my marriage, so I don't know how this works," she spoke.

"What works?"

"I saw the way you were looking at me, Sasuke. You felt it. I felt it. Don't lie, we are not liars like they are. I live in the addition behind my parent's house, which is completely separate. So there are no chances of them walking in on us. I hate that you wore a basketball jersey to dinner because I hate basketball, but you can fuck me if you turn the lights off okay?" she declared.

"How old are you?" he asked her apprehensively.

"Old enough to have a marriage end and not end up in a mental disorder rehab."

"Look I had a really nice time tonight but, I am married." He replied finally showing her his ring finger, where he wore his gold wedding band.

"Well, so am I." She showed her's, a silver wedding band lined with black rhinestones.

"No that's messed up, he's dead," he said and immediately regretted.

She scowled before tears brimmed in her lower lids. They streamed onto her cheeks and her nose turned a shade of red along with her cheeks as she rubbed her nose repeatedly. Sasuke's eyes widened in ire, ruing the comment he'd made. Sakura pulled him into an emphatic hug against his will and sobbed gently into his chest. Tears streaking his jersey.

"Uh, oh. Oh, okay." He spoke incomprehensibly.

She pulled back and immediately smacked his cheek with her bare palm before jerking back some more and turning towards her house and stalked angrily. He stood there with a stinging cheek before turning away and jogging down to his house.

He shoved the back door aside and entered making his way through the kitchen to his bedroom upstairs not wanting to be interrupted.

"Hey, hey, Shikamaru called. He sounded worried, what happened?" Mikoto asked him.

"Hey-is that- is that, lipstick on your shirt?" she added pulling him back by his jersey.

"Mom, no I don't know alright?" he responded before pacing past his father and skipping up the stairs into his room.

Sasuke took off his jersey and stared at himself confounded with the reflection he saw in the mirror. He recalled Sakura's face and the way her flush pink lips curled slightly when he'd said she looked nice. He imagined her lips doing other things before he snapped himself back.

"No, no. What are you doing, Sasuke? You can't think all those things, are you nuts? You love Ino!"

He sat on the edge of the bed before tossing the cardboard boxes that lay beside his bed searching for something before he grew aggravated searching for it.

He spent the next few hours searching for something and finally got provoked enough to walk into his parent's bedroom and waking them up.

"Mom, mom, wake up. I can't find my wedding video. Have you seen it anywhere? Mom, wake up!" He shuffled past their bed, exasperatedly.

"Honey, whats the matter?" Mikoto asked.

"It's after 3 o'clock, what are you doing?" Fugaku inquired almost angrily.

He dragged his mother out of bed and took her into the study, "Mom, I looked in here but I couldn't find anything its all your sewing shit and dad's other stuff."

"We put it in your father's study"

"Don't go in my study!"

Sasuke tossed things around in his father's study before his eyes fell on some tapes. Basketball game tapes. He pulled them off the shelf hurriedly searching through them for the one he was looking for.

"It looks like to me you guys are trying to hide my wedding video?" he turned to his mother while scoping through the things.

"Please stop yelling, it's probably in the attic." His mother requested.

"I am not yelling mom, you think I can't take it. I am just frustrated because I should have it here somewhere," Sasuke started growing agitated and his tone started becoming louder and louder with every passing second.

Mikoto held onto his arms pulling him around to his room before he jerked himself around, "Stop yelling son!" she kept screaming while Sasuke agitatedly continued scoping through things now almost unintelligibly.

"Sasuke, Sasuke, you are going to wake everybody up!"

"What's going on, is everything okay up there?"Fugaku finally inquired as he heard is his wife and son quarrel loudly.

"I already looked over there, I looked over there, it's not there!"

"Is it here, here? Huh, is it here?" he tossed old clothing from sealed packets out scrambling them everywhere and Mikoto grabbed her temples with her fingers giving a vexed expression while Fugaku paced up the stairs and the telephone rang.

"Son, calm down. Please just calm down."

"I am not calming down, you think I am gonna calm down? I don't give a fuck who wakes up, let the whole neighborhood wake up!"

"Calm down son, Sasuke stop it!"

"Sasuke stop it! Stop it, stop it!"

Mikoto's wailing went unanswered before Fugaku climbed upstairs to his room.

Tears streamed down Sasuke's eyes onto his face and his face started turning red, he pulled his temples in anger and paced here and there in the room.

"You think I am ashamed of it? I am not ashamed of it! It's my wedding, my wedding. What the fuck are you doing to me?" Tears ran freely from his eyes and his mother tried to control his constant pacing and outcries before he accidentally brought his arm into her face tossing her onto the ground.

"Mom!" he cried before kneeling before her only to be pushed into the bed by his father who started punching at him. Sasuke combat his tears before tossing his father over off the bed and slapping and punching hard at him.

"Stop it you both!" Mikoto sat and cried at her husband and son.

"I didn't start this I am only defending myself," Sasuke responded to her cries.

The doorbell rang several times before Mikoto pulled her husband and son apart and went downstairs to answer it. A bloody gash rang diagonally on Sasuke's face through his nose and blood oozed out of Fugaku's left nostril.

"Police! Open the door please."

"Mr. Uchiha, I gotta a lot of calls, people in the neighborhood are scared I gotta come in." Officer Kotetsu stood in the door way making his way in before racing upstairs.

"How are we doing in here huh? I got a lot of calls okay, what's going on?" Kotetsu asked Sasuke who was being consoled by his mother.

"Sit down, sit down!" Kotetsu demanded.

"Ino is being manipulated, you have to talk to her-" Sasuke responded.

"Enough with these crazy theories, he's a cop, what are you doing?" Fugaku asked Sasuke agitatedly.

"We know all about the episode in the doctor's office!" Kotetsu retorted.

"Tsunade is lying, we talked about that. It's confidential information!" Sasuke replied.

The doorbell rang again.

"What who could that be?" Mikoto asked Fugaku who turned around to answer it.

"It's a medication problem, he's fine now." His mother came to his defense.

"Huh, you wanna go back to rehab now? Is that what you want. I gotta make a report of this now." Kotetsu revealed.

"No you can't tell Ino about this, officer!"

"I got to."

Fugaku answered the door to the same kid who'd come earlier to ask Sasuke for an interview about his mental disorder.

"Is this a bipolar episode?" he asked.

"Get outta here you fucking kid," Fugaku clenched the kid's collar and pushed him out into the porch and dragged him back to his house. The kid freed himself from the grasp and ran in the direction of his house yelling, "This guy is chasing me, help me!"

He angrily knocked on the door of the house in which the kid had retreated to only to be answered by Guy.

"I am gonna take that fucking camera, and break your fucking head with it. Only to come back to interview you about what's it like to get that fucking camera broken over your head! What are you laughing about?"

"I am sorry," Guy replied before bringing the door to a close.

Fugaku retreated to his own house only to be cat called and howled at by his neighbors.

"It's alright, this is not a reflection of where I am at, you can't tell her about this, please." Sasuke requested Kotetsu.

"Pipe down, alright?" Kotetsu spoke before gesturing and turning back around. Fugaku had already made his way up

"Who was at the door?" Sasuke asked his father.

"Its okay, everything is okay, we appreciate you coming over, thank you," Fugaku gestured to Kotetsu before shutting the door close.


	3. Halloween

**SPECIAL NOTE:** Hey guys, okay first off **Sorry but I updated this chapter a little because for some reason the first time it uploaded it cut off my ending. Now,** Thank you for reviewing and acknowledging my interest in writing this story. DON'T watch the movie again though I request you, please don't. Haha, watch it AFTER the story is done, which will be in another week or so. Please be patient, it's all part of the process. You'll see the movie so much more adversely when you finish reading this story. :)

Oh btw, it's my birthday today so Happy birthday to me!

 **CHAPTER 3**

Sasuke was staring at himself in the mirror, the gash from last night had left a painful scar. It was a deep shade of pink and covered his nose and a portion of his upper lip and eyebrow. Fugaku in his room was looking at the scar in the mirror himself, the small cuts to his brow bones and cheek. Mikoto stood in the kitchen gazing out of the window at the street, she imagined how horrifying it would have been for Fugaku to have heard all their neighbors shouting back at them for disturbing throughout the night.

Sasuke stepped into his bathroom and yanked the cabinet open almost unhinging it, he grabbed the two vials of medicine and placed the tablets in the palm of his hand; 150 mg Abilify and 450 mg of Seroquel. He gulped it down before scooping water from the tap and drinking it along with the medicine. He walked into the room again and pulled out his usual gray hoodie and sweatpants and changed into them for his morning jog.

Mikoto watched as he skipped down the stairs and made his way into the kitchen, he noticed how she stood indiscernibly and walked past her out into their backyard through the back door. Her eyes trailed to his back as he left.

He ran as fast as his legs could let him. It was a clear morning, the sun wasn't scorching the roads like every other day and a cool breeze blew gently. His feet ran crazy fast and he whizzed past several blocks unwittingly. He felt a pang in his chest, an uncertainty that he didn't really feel comfortable placing at the moment. His eyes avoided his surroundings and focused on the road, charcoal colored irises boring into charcoal tar. He was already a good ten blocks away before his eyes finally gave in and trailed around his form, looking at the building that he raced past. It was the same white wood, cottage style house with the addition in the back. He slowed down the glare closely, wondering if she was really even inside. His thoughts ran back to last night and their uncomfortable conversation. He wondered if his reaction last night was due to what she had said or instigated, whether there was a part of him that actually contemplated her offer. Whether that same part felt guilty for even considering it which is why he wanted to watch his wedding video so bad.

He pushed the thoughts away entirely and continuing his jog picking up his former speed. Suddenly he felt another presence and turned around only to find the very person he was just thinking about moments before. She looked pale now that he saw her clearly in the daylight, with her signature pink hair tied up now in a messy ponytail, strands framing her face and sticking to it due to sweat. Clad in a tight shirt and leggings, she still looked as hot as she did last night and he just couldn't stop from wondering why he'd even reacted to negatively towards her in the first place.

"HEY!" she screamed into his face before picking up speed to his match his.

"Woah! Hey!" he responded surprisingly.

"What happened to your face?"

"Weight lifting accident," he replied without meeting her gaze as she jogged beside him and stared at his face dubiously.

"That sounds like bullshit. Why'd you run by my house? Our little conversation get you upset last night?"

"Hey, this is my route okay, just back off!" he announced in agitation.

"This is my neighborhood, you just ran by my house!"

"I like to run by myself okay?"

"Me too!" she replied squinting her eyes to gauge his expressions.

"Hey, I like to run alone, will you stop? I am running here!" He certainly demanded now, almost frustrated to the bone.

"What? I am running here too!"

"There are tons of roads to run, will you please run somewhere else, what are you trying to do?"

"I like this route, this is my neighborhood!" Sakura now realizing his annoyance just wouldn't budge.

"Oh come on please!" Sasuke cried before holding his temples in ire as he stopped. He brought his hands back down and placed them on his knees, panting heavily.

"Calm down, crazy!" Sakura stopped right behind him and panted, watching his expressions in amusement.

Sasuke spit onto the gravel before turning to face her.

"Why are you...?" Sakura began to question and scowled immediately before spitting at the road at the same place he did almost as if meaning to spit back at him.

He turned around right before he could see her and just as she was about to start speaking again he dashed sideways into the stone way path that ran through other houses. Sakura began chasing him only to falter behind as he gained momentum. He ran onto the road again and just as he thought he had lost her he slowed down, panting heavily. She chased him down by dashing sideways at him and he jumped.

"Hey!" she screamed.

"What the fuck! I am married!" he cried.

"So am I!"

"What the fuck are you doing? Your husband's dead!"

"Where is your wife?"

"You are crazy?"

"I am not the one who got out of that hospital!"

"I am not the big slut!" he screamed before halting and feeling miserable for letting his thoughts get the better of him. Sakura had stopped to catch her breath and placed her hands on her knees, he turned around to walk back to her.

"I am sorry, I am sorry," he spoke unconvincingly.

"I was a big slut, but I am not anymore! There's always gonna be a part of me that's slutty and dirty but I like that with all the other parts of myself," she shoved him away with her small hands, "Can you say the same about yourself fucker? Can you forgive? Are you any good at that?"

Sasuke stood there in silence. Sakura had already left the scene and run back to her block and he stood there distraught over things that had happened in the last few minutes.

He couldn't fathom why the pain in his chest which had receded a while ago had returned.

He couldn't fathom why this girl whom he'd just met a night ago had suddenly made him feel emptier than he'd felt when he'd been admitted to rehab.

He couldn't fathom why the run back home now seemed like the least engaging activity to him at the moment considering how much he'd looked forward to jogging since taking his medication in the morning.

Some part of him, some human part of his conscience wanted to squash all these little insecurities that had begun to sprout in his mind. He began running back to his house, today's session with Tsunade would definitely need to persuade him otherwise.

"You seemed to have trouble last night?"

"Let me set the record straight on the events of last night. Hurting my mother was a mistake and I hate myself for it, and I hate my illness and I wanna control it. My father, on the other hand, had no trouble slapping the shit out of me last night which I did not return which I could have, I mean I could have killed him which I didn't. I mean he's 55 years old. Don't you think I could have beaten the shit out of him?

"He was scared for your mother and he hurt you of it," Tsunade shifted in her sofa.

"Yes last night was a mess and I think he was probably doing this for the best."

"Sasuke you have to have a strategy, you need to recognize these feelings coming to you. So when you get these feelings you need to make peace with your self and get to a quieter place."

"That's just easier said than done," Sasuke shrugged and scoffed.

"You have to do it, you have no choice. Excelsior."

"Yeah, Excelsior. Listen I have a letter I want you to give Ino okay?" he looked down to his shoes.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because you have a restraining order."

"What good are you, Doc?"

"Why did you have this overwhelming urge to see your wedding video last night?"

"Oh, I don't know because I am married and I haven't seen my wife in a while and I wanted to watch my wedding video."

"Did you feel if Ino is not around and Sakura is an attractive girl,

and if you get drawn towards Sakura you'd spoil your chances at getting Ino back to you?"

"Not bad Doc, but I don't think I am gonna blow it with Ino because Sakura is a slut."

"Why did you call her a slut?"

"After the dinner at Shika's, she said, quote, 'We can go to the back house and you can FUCK me as long as we turn the lights out', unquote, and she still wears her wedding ring. So she's loyal, married to a dead guy, slut," Sasuke pulled forward in his sofa and sat upright and then retired into his previous posture.

"Maybe she needs a friend and she thought that if she offered you sex, it'd be easier to be friends with you."

"She said, she's NOT a whore anymore, BUT she likes that part of herself, along with other parts of herself and if I can say the same," Sasuke shrugged disdainfully.

"Can you?" Tsunade's raised a brow.

"What? Are you seriously asking me that question?"

"Yes,"

"Well what my crazy sad shit, what are you nuts?"

"Sasuke, the silver lining thing is yours, I am just giving your words back to you. You said, Ino is friends with Temari, Shikamaru, and Sakura. So if you become friends with Sakura, Ino will think that you are a kind, hearted person who likes to help people like Sakura in need of mental support who is basically thriving, so if you help Sakura. It will actually be good for you." Tsunade crossed her fingers over her crossed legs.

The next day, Sasuke went out for his jog at the same time and through the same route, in almost hopes of catching Sakura again. Which he immediately did.

"Hey!" she cried from behind him.

All his thoughts came to a pause, "How the fuck do you know when I run?" he asked shocked.

"I wanted to clarify something, I just want us to be friends,"

He ran in silence.

"Did you hear what I said?"

He did not reply.

"Why are you giving me such a hard time?"

"No I am not giving you a hard time," he ran rapidly before halting in front of Kurenai's Diner.

"I don't know how to act with you when you do this shit," she stopped along his side.

"Do you wanna have dinner with me at this Diner?" he asked her, panting between words.

She paused, narrowing her eyes at him, pouting almost too cutely as she brushed the sweat soaked pink strands off her forehead.

"Pick me up at 7:30," she replied before running away from him.

And 7:30 was exactly when he stood on her porch. Her neighbors glared through their windows at the man standing on her door, her parents stepped out on to the tiny foyer of their house and stared at him as well. He had worn a navy blue hoodie with an olive casual shirt inside with a pair of cargo pants in a lighter shade of olive. Kids ran across the street wearing their costumes, hiding behind bushes, yelling and screaming "Trick or treat!" as the whole neighborhood beamed of exhilaration, except for him.

She walked out wearing her typical kind of an outfit, tight black fishnet stockings, black ankle length boots, a mid thigh length lacey dress that was fitting in form up to her waist and loose from waist below. The black cross hung in the same fashion from her neck and she had added on black gothic danglers to her usually bare ears. She carried a black leather jacket in her arm as she walked towards him.

It almost felt to Sasuke that his eyes were glued. He couldn't take them off, not even if he forced himself to, she just looked too tempting to stare at. He wanted to tear that dress apart, wait no. He couldn't think of such things. This was wrong.

"Happy Halloween," he greeted her.

"Hi," she smiled softly.

The walk down to Kurenai's was silent and uneventful, he opened the door for her as they stepped inside and occupied a booth.

They stared at the contents of the menu before the waitress arrived, "What would you like to have today?"

"Grilled Tomato's with seasoning and Caeser's salad, please,"

"Green tea," Sakura recited.

The waitress jotted down the order and left. Sasuke forced himself to function normally and not overreact, bringing his eyes back to meet hers.

"You look nice," he complimented her.

"Thank you," she smiled softly.

Their eyes did not shift even for a second as they sat face to face in an ensnaring gaze, only until the waitress brought them their food.

"Grilled tomatoes with Caeser Salad, and here's your green tea, honey," she smiled at Sakura only to be returned the same gesture.

"You wanna share this?" he asked her after noticing her lack of an appetite.

"Why did you order a salad and tomatoes?" she asked him inquisitively.

"Why did you order tea?"

"Because you ordered a salad,"

"I ordered a salad because I didn't want this to be mistaken as a date,"

"It can still be a date if you ordered Salad,"

"It's not a date." He retorted before meeting her eyes again, "So hows your designing and construction work going?"

"It's going slow, hows your restraining order going?"

"I wouldn't call the restraining order my thing, because getting back with Ino is, and I think I am doing pretty well. Except for a minor incident at the doctor's office-"

"Yeah and the so-called incident with the weights,"

"Yeah, that was a thing with my parents. I wish I could just explain it all in a letter to Ino because it was minor. If I could just explain it and show her I am not outta control, and tell I am actually doing really well." He spoke with certainty.

They sat silently for a few minutes as Sakura drank her tea, pondering over the thought.

"I can get a letter to Ino, I see her sometimes when she hangs out with Temari,"

"It would be so amazing if you could do that." He replied with fervor.

"But I'll have to get it past Temari and be very careful, hide it. She's not into breaking the law, which this letter would definitely be doing," she brought her face closer to his.

"But you'd do it." He got closer to her face mirroring her action.

There was another pause.

"I am already on thin ice with my parents ever since I lost my job,"

"How'd you lose your job?"

"I, well, by having sex with everybody in the office," she replied hesitantly.

"Everybody?" he gasped, appalled.

"I was very depressed after Neji died, it was a lot of people."

"We don't have to talk about it," he said almost as if lying to himself.

"Thanks," she lowered her eyes to look at the glass in her hand.

"How many were there?" He asked without even catching his breath.

"Eleven."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I am not gonna bring it up again,"

"Okay,"

"Can I ask you one more question?" he murmured embarrassingly.

"Sure,"

"Were there any women?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"What was that like?"

"Hot."

"Jesus Christ." Sasuke gasped. Sakura stared back at him and bit her lower lip. His eyes lowered from her eyes to the insignificantly swollen lip.

"Was it like, older women, like a sexy teacher who wants to seduce you and-" he asked explicatively.

"Made me sit on her lap and do things? Yeah."

"What? You sat on her lap?" He gripped the sides of his mouth with both hands and pressed it indefinitely in shock.

"Mhm."

"She told you what to do?"

"Mhm,"

"Oh my god! Ino hated it when I talked like this. It made me sound like a perv. Maybe we should change the subject." He pressed his fingers over his mouth, his lips curled into his mouth before crossing his fingers in front of him.

"I don't mind it."

"You don't, do you?" He inched closer to her face.

"No. But then people were getting into fights at the parking lot at work and in the bathroom. And then my boss called me in and tried to pin it on me. So I filed for sexual harassment against him and then they fired me, sent me home and put me on some meds." She tilted her face to the left, resting it on her shoulder softly.

"I get it. This song that was playing when I caught my wife with the history teacher, it was my wedding song. When I hear it I go crazy, sometimes I hear it when it's not even playing."

"Wow."

"Yeah, so they put me on medication, so I know how you feel. You just gotta get a strategy you know?"

"Me too."

"We better get back to the letter."

"Yeah, we should get back to the letter," she nodded and looked into her mug.

"What if you told Ino when Temari was in the bathroom?"

"Yes, yes that could work."

"God, I am gonna go home and write that letter right now." He said and got up and stepped out of the booth.

"Wait, can I at least finish my tea," she asked a little stung.

"What?"

"My tea, can I finish it?"

"Wait a minute, did Temari tell Ino about our dinner? Why would she do that, was it a test?" He brought himself back to the booth and sat down.

"I kinda got a feeling too,"

"God damn it, I knew it. I did well, I guess I did very well."

"Yeah, cool basically."

"Basically? Was I some percentage NOT cool? I think I did well what do you mean basically?"

"No she said you were cool, you know, sort of how you are."

"What do you mean sort of how I am?"

"Sort of like me," she muttered.

"Sort of like you? I hope to GOD she didn't tell Ino that!" He asked her dreadfully.

"Why?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Because it's not right, lumping you and me together. It's I mean, this is wrong. Ino wouldn't like that. Especially after all the shit you just told me."

She narrowed her eyes to thin slits. "You think I am crazier than you?" she grumbled.

"Uh, more different than you." He corrected himself.

"Oh my god, ugh, you are killing me." She sighed, "You know what, forget I offered to help you, forget the entire fucking idea cos that must have been fucking crazy! Because I am so much crazier than you." She recited every word raising her tone.

"Keep your voice down," he replied after receiving stares from every other person at the diner.

"I am just the crazy slut with the DEAD HUSBAND! AAAHHAHAHAHHA FORGET IT!" She snickered maniacally before slamming her hand shoving the entire mug and salad platter off the table, crockery crashing into the floor.

"Shut the fuck up, please." He muttered under his breath, on the brim of an outburst.

"Fuck you!" she uttered before strutting out of the diner donning her leather jacket.

"Hey, Sakura!" he got up from the booth and turned in her direction after looking at the mess.

He noticed the cell phone she forgot on the table and grabbed it before walking through the narrow passage, the waitress called out to him.

"Hey, slow down Tomato-boy!" she slammed a cheque in his chest, as he shoved money onto her counter and stepped outside.

"Hey, hey! Come on, look I don't think you are crazy okay?" He chased after her.

"Yes you do, you told your therapist, that you were in a superior mental illness category, and you didn't-"

"Hey, just hear me out!" He spread his hands.

"Just leave me alone!" She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Can I just explain myself, please? I didn't want Ino to think I was associated with that kind of sexual behavior because I have never done anything like that okay?"

"You might not have had experienced the shit that I did, but you loved hearing about it, didn't you? You're afraid to be alive, you're afraid to live. You're a conformist. You're a hypocrite. You're a liar. I opened up to you and you judged me! You're an asshole. YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE! Get off of me! He's harassing me! HE'S HARASSING ME!" She shoved him off of her while staring at the people gathering around them.

"Shut up! I am not!" He screamed back before he could get close to her again as people passing by stood around them and grabbed him asking him invariable questions about his behavior.

"Get off! He's harassing me!" She continued wailing.

"Hey, stop!" He replied calmly putting his hands out in defeat.

"Hey man, back off!" A stranger pushed him aside.

"He's harassing me! He's Harassing me!"

"Stop it back off okay!" "Fuck off mate, stop troubling her!" Several people gathered around him shoving him from side to side.

Suddenly his wedding song began to play in the back of his mind and he unconsciously lost his grip on reality.

Sakura noticed his frozen form, her eyes narrowed to slits, as he swayed from side to side queasily and fidgetted with his hands in a daze. The police siren beeped from a few meters away as Officer Kotetsu pulled up to grab him by the collar.

"Hey, what are you doing? What are you doing to these kids, man? You being a punk to these kids, you wanna go back to the mental institution?" he shoved Sasuke by the chest and pulled him aside to the police car.

"I didn't-I didn't, I wasn't gonna-" he stammered and receded into his anxiety fumbling with words.

"Come on Uchiha, what do you doing? Are you sick? Stop behaving like it then!"

Sakura stood behind them staring at Sasuke's weary form as he fumbled around, pressing against the hood of Kotetsu's car. She took notice of his panicking and immediately stepped forward.

"It's not him! It's not his fault! It's just the kids, it's the kids. It's not his fault. It was all the kids!" she wailed at Kotetsu, pulling Sasuke back toward him.

"Come on, breathe! Breathe. What are you gonna do about that song? Are you gonna spend your whole life scared about that song? It's a song, don't make a monster. Breathe, there's no song, there's no song." Sakura held his arm and patted his back repeatedly.

Sasuke gasped continuously pressing his hand on his knee and driving into her hold, before bringing his eyes to meet hers. Dark charcoal irises dilated on meeting jade ones, as his breathing steadied itself. He looked away realizing their proximity.

"That's it, that's it, calm down now. I am sorry." She patted a few more times on his back.

"No, I am sorry." He replied.

"I went too far," she said as he gazed into her eyes again.

"Hey, was he messing with you?" Kotetsu grabbed her by the arm and directing her towards him.

"It was a joke, this was just a joke I started!" she explained.

"It's not funny, he has a restraining order against him!"

"Well what can I do, I am fucked in the head. I got nothing better to do!"

"You're Neji's widow right?" he said, placing her in his mind.

"Yes, I am Neji's crazy whore widow! Minus the whore thing for most of the part." She imaginarily pressed her fingers quoting her words.

"You are a funny girl... you wanna get a drink sometime?" he inched closer to her and she jerked her arm out of his grasp.

She shrugged and walked away annoyed.

"What'd I say?" Kotetsu asked, baffled by her rejection.

"Hey! She doesn't do that anymore!" Sasuke looked at the Officer with a scowl decking his face.

He walked in her direction as she paced through the street. He caught up to her frantic pace and pulled her arm softly towards him.

"I am sorry about what I said to you earlier," he said.

"I know, you didn't mean it." She kept her focus ahead on the street filled with kids dressed in costumes walking back to their houses.

"I didn't mean it at all," he added.

"I know you say shit all the time," she corresponded.

"ALL the time!" he complied.

"I'll still give your letter to Ino," she forced it out of her throat.

"Wow, thanks, Sakura. I really appreciate that." he stood before her back house.

"I know you do." She replied before retiring into her house.

"See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," he heard a low mumble before turning around and walking back to his house.

 **A/N:** **So my other story, Pandemonium is on hold for a few days but for those of you who haven't read it yet, go ahead and start. It is already into it's 17th chapter and is more Narutoverse/action oriented, while you wait for the next chapter of TRR. I'll be updating Pandemonium by Monday latest.**


	4. Deal

Fugaku and Kakashi were at it again. He couldn't figure out why he felt so devoid of his usually calm composure that morning but something was itching him the wrong way and he needed to deal with it immediately.

"Now whats gotten you so rattled?" Kakashi asked Fugaku who was frantically sifting through his stationary mouthing every curse word in his mind and regretting Sasuke entry into his office in the first place.

"What's the matter, honey? What's all this?" Mikoto asked her husband who was seemingly annoyed due to something and had created a whole pile of envelopes on his desk and some flew off onto the floor. Kakashi stood right beside her with a finger under his chin and watched the scene unfold. It was always like Fugaku to get agitated if someone ever went through his stuff without his permission. And it was always like Kakashi to mock him over his obvious distress.

"It's my envelopes Mikoto, it's one of my envelopes. It's missing. I always mark my envelopes, things come in and things go out. I am always so organized but this envelope, it could have been marked with my cash in it." Fugaku explained to her.

"Maybe we should call the FBI." She muttered.

"Why are you making fun of my stuff? This is serious, I run a business here, Mikoto. This is everything I have, it all corresponds. What-what FBI?" He retorts, annoyed.

"Dad I borrowed one of your envelopes, I hope that's okay," Sasuke came out of the living room before shoving the envelope into the pocket of his sweatpants.

"No it's not okay, it's definitely not okay-" he replied.

"Do not go in my study, or I will eat you!" Mikoto mocked Fugaku's tone. Fugaku turned to look at her in ire and frowned several times before turning back to face Sasuke.

"Mikoto, you are beautiful," Kakashi praised Mikoto in the kitchen and Fugaku immediately turned his head around and narrowed his eyes, a stinging look on his face. "Hey, hey hey! Stop doing that, I am in the same room."

"A lot of envelopes go in and out of my office every day, with a lot of cash in them. So show some respect for what I do!" Fugaku explained to Sasuke.

"I am sorry, I didn't know it was a big deal and you were sleeping and the envelope was empty, I didn't wanna wake you and you were sleeping," he replied.

"You didn't wanna wake me? Oh sure, great," Fugaku mocked,

"Be nice, I am making Grilled tomatoes and homemade's," Mikoto recited in a sing-song voice.

"Come on Dad, she's making Grilled Tomatoes and Homemades!" Sasuke repeated.

"What are you up about?" Fugaku questioned him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are you so up, up, up about, are you taking the right dosage of your medication," Fugaku asked this time, bothered.

"Am I taking the right dose, of course, I am." Sasuke shrugged.

"Are you sure, are you sure you aren't taking too much or too less?" Fugaku raised an eyebrow

"Dad, if I was taking too many I'd be on the floor right now." He replied before turning around and dashing towards the door.

He almost felt too breathless when he landed up on the porch of Sakura's house, panting like a dog. He pressed the door bell of the addition behind her parents' house. No one answered. He tip-toed to peer through the window, but couldn't really see anything. He ran towards the house in the front. He pressed the door bell only to be greeted immediately by a brown haired woman in her early fifties, "Who are you?" was her swift question.

"Is Sakura here?" Sasuke asked Mebuki, Sakura's mother.

"Is that another creep, Mebuki? Just beat it!" a sharp voice came from behind her. An older man appeared from behind with washed out dark pink hair.

"Woah, Woah no! No, no no no! I am married," Sasuke replied and flashed his ring ban to Kizashi, the man standing in the doorway beside his wife.

"Oh great, a married creep," he responded.

A car pulled up in front of the house and a man with short dark brown hair stepped out pacing through the porch. "Hey guys, is Sakura home?" he smiled unabashedly.

"Go away!" her mother responded.

"I know her, I know her. We dated, we still are. I called her, texted her. I am still waiting for her to respond. We used to work together my name is Kiba, I just want to hear from her, here's my card-" he said pulling out a card from inside his jacket.

"Just get the hell outta here! Another rude piece of shit-" Kizashi barked at him.

"Listen to what he's saying, you are being rude," Sasuke intervened looking at the man.

"How am I being rude?" the man asked him.

"You know, come on, you know. Sometimes it's okay for girls to do things like this, they wanna have fun. But sometimes it's not because they got a broken wing and they are an easy target, and in this case, this particular case that wing has been fixed, my friend. And you gotta make sure it stays that way, and you are getting in the way of that right now. Yeah, because she's sensitive, she's great she's artistic. This is a great girl, you gotta be respectful of that." Sasuke told the guy before helping him downstairs walking him to his car.

"Let me walk you down to your car. You're a better guy than this. I can see it in your eyes." He consoled Kiba.

"But she just texted me!" Sasuke continued to walk him out before watching him drive away and proceeding onto the road to jog, carrying the envelope in his hand.

Unbeknownst to him, Sakura stood in the front room hearing his entire little speech and smile to herself. She decided to confront him and donned her shoes on before following him down the road. Just as she is about to reach up to him she instantly regrets even being out here, she skips right ahead before him and keeps running. His eyes dart right into her back and he runs behind her.

"Hey! Hey, wait a second! What are you doing? What happened? How come you weren't outside? What the hell's going on?" he asks her in a daze.

"I can't, I can't do it." She merely states, stopping right before him to face him.

Panic strikes his expression and he narrows his eyes, "What do you mean, you can't do it? You can't do what?"

"I can't give the letter to Ino," she says catching her breath before looking below at the road.

"Sakura, what are you talking about? What do you mean you can't give the letter to Ino?" his tone is harried.

"Because what am I getting in return? What are you doing for me?"

"You said! You said if I wrote a letter, you'd get it to Ino." He sounded even more annoyed now.

"I know," she matched his eye level and looked right at him.

"That was the set-up." He stated.

"Because I do this time after time after time, I do all this shit for

other people and then I wake up and, and I'm empty, I have nothing!" Now she was the one who sounded annoyed.

"What are you talking about? You seem like you're a tough girl to me. Why don't you just do things on your own?" He asked her irritatedly.

"I always get myself in these fucking situations. I give everything to other people and nobody ever, I never - I don't get what I want, okay?"

They just stand there contemplating what exactly Sakura meant, and Sakura wonders if he even cares due to the lack of expression on his face at the moment.

"Alright, well, ask for you. What can I do for you?" he finally budges.

"I can't do it." She shakes her head in disagreement and looks at the gravel below.

"Sakura, what do you want me to do?" he asks more patiently.

She sighs, "My house," she doesn't take her eyes off the road.

"What about your house?"

"I need someone to look into's its construction and everything and I haven't really found anybody." She swings her leg to shove a rock away.

"Okay..." he raises an eyebrow ruminating her exact request.

"Neji was going to buy us a place but he couldn't now, so with the little money I got I bought the plot out of town but I don't really have any idea about how I need to go about this and Shikamaru suggested I ask you, so I am asking you now." Her eyes now raised up to meet his.

"Ahn..." he was gaining clarity to what she really meant.

"Neji was supposed to do all this but now-"

"Yeah he was supposed to but he's dead now, so there's no point bringing that up," he frowned before looking down.

"Would you please!"

"I don't have a filter when I talk."

"Can we have one conversation without you reminding me that my goddamn husband is dead? My God." She scoffed, tossing another rock aside before meeting his gaze again.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Okay, I'm sorry."

"Well, so what o you want me to do about this-uh, situation of yours?" He asked confoundingly.

"Well, I was hoping you could get around to helping me through the whole thing. From the foundation, design to the, you know, real deal." She lowered the gaze again, and then nervously matched his eyes again to reveal her requirement.

"Wow. Wow, I see. And you say Shikamaru asked you to ask me? Wow. Alright." He took this in.

Sakura sighed, "I am not a freeloader okay, I am gonna pay you every penny with the insurance money if you volunteer to help with this whole thing."

She bit her lip nervously. His eyes trailed from her eyes to her lips now, before looking away.

"Sakura, I don't know about this. I am not sure, I have been away from the whole construction game for a while now, you should seriously think about asking someone else, someone more professional. I bet my dad could help you out or my brother," he looked and turned a little away from her.

"All right, then I'm not giving her your fucking letter." She turned away and started walking in the direction of her house.

"Wait a second! But you promised you would do this." He looked exasperated.

"Think about it." She starts to walk.

"Well, I already did do something for you, you know."

"WHAT DID YOU DO FOR ME?" she asked him agitatedly.

"I took care of that jerkoff that was in front of your house."

"What? Kiba?" she stepped ahead, mouth gaping as if she couldn't answer.

"Let me ask you something. Do you call him when you're lonely?" He narrowed his eyes as if judging her character.

She doesn't reply.

"That encourages him, Sakura. You shouldn't do it." His tone is more prompt and bothered.

"Couldn't you say the same about you and Ino?" She narrows her eyes this time.

"It's not at all like me and Ino. What are you talking about? We're in love and we're married. It's completely different."

"How are you in love? Tell me about that. The big Ino love. Tell me about it, I wanna understand it." She spreads her hands out in mockery.

"We have a very unconventional chemistry, it makes people feel awkward, but not me. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever been with."

"Wow." It's almost like an arrow to the heart when she hears him describe the woman of his dreams.

"It's electric between us, okay? Yeah, we wanna change each other, but that's normal, couples wanna do that, I want her to stop dressing like she dresses, I want her to stop acting so superior to me, okay? And she wanted me to lose weight and stop my mood swings, both of which I've done. I mean, people fight. Couples fight. We would fight, we wouldn't talk for a couple weeks. That's normal. She always wanted the best for me. She wanted me to be passionate and compassionate. And that's a good thing. You know? I just, look, I'm my best self today, and I think she's her best self, today, and our love's gonna be fucking amazing." He finishes before looking back at her emerald eyes.

"It's gonna be amazing, and you're gonna be amazing, and she's gonna be amazing, and you're not gonna be that guy that's gonna take advantage of a situation without offering to do something back. So think about the house thing." She replies mockingly before walking off.

He stared right into her back, standing in the middle of the street actually contemplating the whole situation.

He retreated back in the direction of his house and ran frantically, he can't imagine something like this. The letter burned an imaginary hole in his pocket, he pulled violently at the front door of his house, only to be greeted by his blonde rehab companion.

"Woah, Woah, Woah. What the fuck are you doing here?"

"It's official, man. They didn't convert me to my Mental Hygiene Law admission status within two-thirds of the maximum length of my felony sentence for robbery, so I'm out. They had to let me go."

"I never truly understand what you are saying," Sasuke responds before turning to his father and mother sitting comfortably watching the basketball game. Sasuke pats Naruto's back and sets him off. Naruto retreats to his seat on the couch after Fugaku held out his hand calling him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Dad's got you sitting here?" Sasuke asks Naruto enviously.

"He calls me his good luck charm," Naruto grinned.

"Hold the remote the way you were holding it before," Fugaku demanded Naruto.

"And now you're holding the remote?" Sasuke asks Naruto raising an eyebrow.

"And it's working. Your dad's a genius." Naruto responds.

"Superstition, Naruto. I don't know." He scoffs and turns around.

"Don't disappear doing God knows what with that Sakura Haruno." He hears his father state. Sasuke raises an eye, turning around.

"Dad, Dad, Dad. She's my friend. Why would you say that?" he retorted.

"Oh, she's a mess. You gotta be careful. She goes to a lot of

therapy." Fugaku groans.

"Well, I go to a lot of therapy too Dad, what are you trying to say?" Fugaku looks at Sasuke before turning over around and ignoring him.

He hears someone skip down the stairs and instantly advances to face them.

"A restraining order is nothing to fool with, bro." Itachi walks towards him, doing a double take, " Holy shit, look at you! You are fit! You look absolutely amazing. You feel good?"

"How you doing, Itachi?" he asks, his tone unwavering.

"Good. You look like Schwarzenegger in his prime." Itachi states and grins.

"Didn't I say you wouldn't recognize him?" Mikoto wails.

"So, listen, I'm sorry that I didn't come see you down at the hospital. You know how those places creep me out, and the office has been expanding. I've been helping Pop with the place 'cause he needs to have a legitimate business. He needs a tax return. With all the money that he's making with his business, they're gonna come after him." Itachi states while placing an overbearing hand on Sasuke's shoulder before pulling him aside. Sasuke just stares at Itachi.

"Well, I don't even know what to say to you anymore. You lost your wife, I'm getting engaged, and I wanna be able to tell you about that kind of thing. You lost your house, I'm getting a new house. You gave up your job, things are going great for me at the office." Itachi smirks.

Fugaku stares at the two, and scarce distance between them which is seemingly reducing.

"Maybe stop talking about all the stuff that's good for you and bad for him. Just, you know, leave it alone. We're watching the game." He intervenes.

"You know what, I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna stop talking. I'm gonna shut my mouth." Itachi responds to Sasuke's cold and tense expression.

"As my friend, Naruto would say, I got nothing but love for you, brother." The tension on his face eases and they pull each other into a hug. Itachi smiles, patting his little brother's back.

"That's right. That's right." Naruto mumbles in the background. Mikoto inhales, tearfully.

"Well, thank God, finally," Fugaku adds.

"Dario Kiroki," Sasuke tells Itachi.

"Yeah, did it fit?" he asks.

"I wore it to Shikamaru's for dinner." Sasuke smiles softly.

"Whatever you do, watch out for that restraining order, okay?" He states, almost warning.

"Don't let Sakura get you in trouble," Fugaku adds.

"Sasuke, you're up to something, I know." Mikoto strains her voice, clearing her throat.

"People like Sakura, or Naruto, or me, maybe we know something that you guys don't know, okay? Did you ever think about that? Maybe we understand something because we're more-"

"We have a sixth sense. I mean, everybody's got it. Everybody's

just not in touch with it." He gets disturbed by the door bell.

Itachi opens to door and steps aside letting the guests walk in. Officer Kotetsu and two male orderlies from the rehab stan beside him in the foyer facing the family sitting on the couch.

"How are you doing, Sasuke?" Kotetsu asks him.

"Jesus," Sasuke responds.

"I guess his sixth sense forgot to tell him the cops were coming." Fugaku states.

"I'm taking him back to the hospital." Kotetsu recited pointing at Naruto. Itachi began to chuckle.

"What? No, no, he passed his thing, right?" Sasuke interrupts.

"First of all, check with the latest legal development," Naruto replies.

"Well, we got a call that they did convert you to a Mental Hygiene Law admission status by the deadline of your sentence, so..." Kotetsu trails off.

"Wait a minute. Are you a Kings fan or are you not a Kings fan?" Fugaku asks Kotetsu.

"I'm a Kings fan." he replies.

"Well then, what's the problem? He's not goin' anywhere. Just let him finish the game, that's all. The handkerchief is working. We're killing the Suna Surfers, 81-56. What's the matter with you? Let him stay, please!"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about "the handkerchief". And I'm glad that the Surfers are losing and we're winning, but I gotta take Naruto Uzumaki back to the rehab, alright? He can contest his case from there." Kotetsu replies oddly before grabbing Naruto and yanking him out.

"Not correct about the Mental Hygiene Law. You're not correct." Naruto's voice trails off as Kotetsu an the orderlies disappear and Sasuke stands confounded in the foyer.

Sasuke turns around to find his portrait still seated at the table and Itachi's hanging on the wall and then walks up the stairs into his room.

It was a new day. And Sasuke wanted to have the whole conversation with Sakura. He wanted to make her realize that he would help her, but only because she was helping him. Well, atleast that is what he told himself. He wore a dark blue sweatshirt and matching trousers and skipped down the stairs to enter the kitchen.

After finishing breakfast, he pulled the envelope from his pocket and scribbled something over it before shoving it back into his pocket before Mikoto could spot it. He kissed her on the cheek and stretched before stepping out through the back door.

He walked on the separate stone way path to Sakura's house at the back and immediately turned to face the window of her parent's house to fin Mebuki glaring at him. He was holding the envelope in front of his chest and walked right past her to the door of her house. He knocked before pressing the door bell but the door open instantly and she stood there dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a black tank top. He nodded when he saw her and she pulled a black pea coat before drawing it over her shoulders and stepping out.

They walked out to her car and he opened the passenger door and sat inside and she followed through. They pulled out of the drive way an instantly picked speed hitting the road up west. Kizashi stood in the door way staring into the tiny red Chevy speeding off.

Sasuke sat in the car silently for about a minute before talking. The radio buzzed in the background an he paid no attention to it.

"When are you gonna give it to her?"

"What?"

"The letter to Ino."

"Probably tonight."

"Really?" His eyes widened.

"Shikamaru and Temari and I are gonna see her tonight." Her eyes were glued to the road

"Oh, I actually changed the first paragraph. I did this thing about

Shakespeare and how it's very romantic," he stated placing the letter on the dashboard.

"Mhm..."

"And I also mentioned how generous it is, what I'm doing for you."

"Yeah. Mm-hmm. It's really generous." She turned to face him for a second.

"You know, being of service."

She nodded.

"To your need." He finished.

It was a short drive, about fifteen minutes long before the beach surrounded them to the left and they pulled up the Leaf Beach Housing County, parking after crossing a block.

"We are here," she said.

The silver reflected off the surface of the water and pink skies lined the horizon flawlessly. Hints of orange and yellow peeled through the pink that matched Sakura's hair as she walked them to an empty plot the size of an acre. It was the only one to their left that stood right before the beach.

"This is it. What do you think?" she looked intently at him.

He stood in silence, his eyes doing the talking and every inch of its movement probed every bit of the land before him. His eyes envisioned a million things and he almost forgot Sakura was beside him. She stared at his serene face, his jawline sharp as a butter knife and her own eyes trailed from his face to his chest and to his hands.

"It's a beautiful place," he simply stated.

She smiled softly before reaching into her previous stoic expression. He turned to look at her and immediately took notice of the thought troubling her.

"Has anybody ever told you how Neji died?"

"No."

"We were married for three years and five days, and I loved him. But for the last couple months, I just wasn't into sex at all. It just felt like we were so different and I was depressed. Some of that is just me, some of it was he wanted me to have kids and I have a hard enough time taking care of myself. I don't think that makes me a criminal. Anyway one night after dinner, he drove to Victoria's Secret at King of Prussia Mall and got some lingerie to get something going. And on the way back, he stopped on 76 to help a guy with a flat tire and he got hit by a car and killed. And the Victoria's Secret box was still in the front seat." she turned to look towards the shore sniffling a sob.

He looked at her with empathy. This was the first time he'd hear something like that. He couldn't have imagined her pain and could only put himself in her shoes and feel terrible. This woman had bought a piece of land to live in with her husband as a family and spend her happy days in only to be crushed by something so unfortunate. He couldn't quite place the emotions he felt for her but he definitely wanted to pull her into a hug to console her perhaps. But he couldn't. He wasn't sure how she'd react to it. She turned around to face him again and he noticed her damp cheek as his eyes lowered to the sand below them.

"I'll do it."

 **A/N:** **So my keyboard broke, an now I gotta get it repaired. You have no idea how hard it was for me to type out this whole thing without the letters 'd,?,o"' not working. God I partially did it on my phone before I got bugged.**

 **So please leave your reviews, because this is where the story gets a little different an a lot more abridged an constructive. I love it when you guys review, so don't forget!**


	5. Mistake

**Chapter 5: Mistake**

"Sasuke! There's someone on the phone for you!" Mikoto wailed all the way from the kitchen.

Sasuke sat in his bedroom fixing the drafts he was drawing out for the past six hours or so, placing a paper weight and skipped down the stairs to enter the kitchen when his mother held the receiver in her hand with an uncertain look on her face.

"Who is she?" she mumbled before Sasuke grabbed the receiver from her hand and signaled her to leave him alone. Mikoto stepped back and narrowed her eyes in disarray before turning around.

"Yeah, hey." He muttered into the receiver.

"Mhm... So uh, I'll get them to you by latest tomorrow because they still need a lot of work. And I have been jotting down several things you will be needing to start the deposits on so that they get into action, Ya know... mhm..." he continued talking on the phone. His mother peered at him from the corner of her eyes before he muttered another 'mhm' and an 'ok, see ya later' before hanging up.

"What was that all about Sasuke?" she asked him immediately.

"Uh... well, how do I put this. I got my first contract after getting out. I didn't wanna tell you guys because I wanted to start work on it immediately and well now that it's happening and I'll be going to finalize the draft and everything with the client tomorrow I figured I'd tell you."

"Wow, honey. That is-that is a big deal, did you tell your dad about this?" she wiped her hands with a hand towel and turned to face him.

"Not really, I mean you know how nosey he can be when it comes to these things mom, don't tell him."

"Don't tell him what?" Fugaku stood at the kitchen door crossing his arms across his chest.

"Tch, nothing Dad," Sasuke uttered and dashed out into the living room and up the stairs again.

He spent a good three more hours finishing his drafts before compiling them and fixing them into a plan holder and shoving it below his bed. He pulled out his clothes and a towel and went into the guest bathroom to have a shower.

Sakura sat idly on her bed reading the books Sasuke had wanted to share with her due to her lack of concentration on developing a 'strategy', she was almost half way through the book and decided to take a break. So she pulled out her laptop from the desk and sat it down on her bed, switching it on. After several hours of Pinteresting and printing out images for her to show Sasuke, she shoved on a pair of slippers and drew her knee-length black shrug over her shoulders before taking off to meet him sooner than he'd planned.

It was a ten-minute ride because she'd stopped in the middle to pick up pretzels and coffee for them to have. Shikamaru had always spoken about the Uchihas as a very self-absorbed bunch of people. The older brother was a hot shot who studied from a top business school before taking up civil engineering and joining his father's business along with Sasuke of course but she knew the whole story about their rift so she didn't really care much about how genial his parents really were.

She walked up to the door and pulled out her hand to press the doorbell before the door yanked open to Itachi laughing incredulously on the phone speaking to someone. His eyes did a double take before turning around to face her completely before he mumbled an, 'i'll talk to you later' and cut the call shoving his phone into the pockets of his khaki pants.

"Is Sasuke home?" she asked holding the coffee and the brown bag of pretzels in her hand.

"He is, and you are?" he asked raising an eyebrow, suspecting her interest in his brother.

"She's a friend of mine Itachi," Sasuke grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her inside the house leading her all the way to the back door and out into the back yard. His parents and Itachi watched astoundedly as he ignored their constant stares. She yanked out of his grasp and looked at him questioningly.

"What are you doing here Sakura? I told you we'd meet tomorrow right?"

"You did but that is not why I am here you know, we can still hang out right?" She raised her brows in defiance.

He blinked dramatically before crossing his arms across his chest.

"Look if you don't want me around then just say it and I'll be on my way okay?"

He eyed exactly what she was wearing, a short and dark maroon loose fitted dress and a black knee length shrug, he took notice of the brown bag and coffee she was holding as well.

"You got that for me?" he asked pointing to the coffee.

"Yeah, I thought we could like chill and listen to some music. I got my iPod, Ya know." She shrugged.

"Chill and listen to some music, what is this a frat party?" He spoke with derision.

"We could make it one."

"Yeah sure, with coffee and what is that you got?" he pulled the bag from her hands and opened it, "-pretzels?"

"You don't have to be such a bummer you know," she gave a smug before pulling the bag back from his grasp.

"Are you gonna come or what?" She finally asked him after they stood there in silence for a minute.

"Fine," he muttered under his breath as he led her past the back door once again and towards the front door, pulling off his coat from the coat hanger and drawing it over his shoulders.

"Where do you think you're going? I gotta discuss that King's game result with you!" Fugaku craned out of his seat on the couch crying out to Sasuke while Itachi walked into the foyer crossing his arms across his chest and staring at the two.

"Later, Dad." Sasuke turned on his heel facing Sakura and the door before being yanked back by Itachi.

"You should pay some respect to the old man, he just wants to spend some time with you."

"More like OCD-superstitious time alright? Now let go of me," he retorted before facing Sakura again and leading her out. Itachi snarled at the two who were now well away from the house and entered Sakura's red Chevy.

They sat for a while before Sasuke set his hand out in front of Sakura. "What?" She asks raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you got us coffee right, so aren't you going to give it to me?"

"Oh, sorry." She placed the coffee cup in his hand as well the pretzel bag and started the car. The radio played, 'Girl from the north country by Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash' on slow volume and the car was filled with a tranquil of its own.

"So, where are we going," Sasuke spoke through the little space in his mouth while munching on the pretzel and dousing it with coffee at the same time.

"Well, you said it, frat party. So we're having a frat party."

"Woah wait," his expression more serious now, "I didn't really mean it ya know, where are we going to reals?"

"To a friend, who specializes in a little something that might get quite the fun going on here." She spoke before gulping down her coffee.

"What friend?" He spoke after finishing her pretzel and saving a portion for Sakura which he placed on the dashboard in front of her.

"You'll see when we get there."

"I am not liking the feel of this."

"Oh now don't be such a slob alright, when was the last time you really had fun?"

"If you would call beating up my ex-wife's boyfriend in the shower while he was butt naked fun, I'd say exactly 9 months ago."

Sakura let out a chuckle before turning to face him, his expression was severe and he really didn't find the humor in his own statement.

"Woah, someone's still a little bothered by their meltdown, I see."

"Hn."

They drove in silence for about a few more minutes before pulling up into a drive way of a very old cottage style house, probably a late 60's remodel and a deep Sienna shade to the brickwork as Sasuke could make out.

"What is this place?"

She turned in her seat and place her elbow on the edge of where her seat and the head support met. "Okay so I don't want you to overreact or anything but we are at that guy-you-called-a-jerk-off-the-other-days' house."

"No way! You got me to your booty call?"

"No, you idiot! He's not my booty call. Gosh! You are such a prick."

"Then what is it? What does he specialize in exactly?" He tilted his head sideways and narrowed his eyes at her.

"He's the guy who provides me stuff from time to time,"

"Oh, okay, stuff. Great, what kinda stuff?" He asked indistinctly to which she rolled her eyes and remain silent.

"Oh. Oooooh. Stuff. I get it." He finally deciphered.

"Yeah, so you better shut the hell up and sit inside while I go and score, okay?"

"Wait, why can't I come along?" He looked at her ingenuously.

"Oh I don't know, maybe because I assume you have never done this before?"

"What makes you think that?" He frowned.

"Look, I don't know okay, but just don't waste my time. Come on if you really want to." Sakura gave him a nettled look before opening her door.

They stepped out of the car onto the gravel and walked towards the door. Sakura rung the bell and an indistinct low groan came from within the house before Sasuke and Sakura exchanged glances. The door opened to the same man Sasuke had confronted more than a day ago, back at her parents' house, he turned to face her and away from him to hide his discomfort.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Kiba asked Sakura who matched his eye level and then went on to check her nails and ignore his gaze.

"He's my friend, you got a problem if I brought him along?" she responded.

He smirked while looking at Sasuke before stepping backward and the two were led inside. Kiba's house was nothing like what looked from the outside, it looked like the place was renovated very recently and done very well as well as Sasuke remarked. The interiors were plush white and off white, the furniture a stark black and an obvious contrast to the rest of the setting. He led them to a dining room where they settled into the chairs before he went upstairs to get something.

"This doesn't look like the kinda place where you'd come to score," Sasuke commented.

"What did you expect a 30-year old man to live in a stinking old rented apartment laden with bongs and cigarette butts that a place that basically smelled like sweaty socks and alcohol, and apparent signs that he dealt in marijuana?" She mocked in response.

"No," he replied obviously wanting to a more but not finding the words to. Kiba hopped down the stairs with a paper bag in his hand clasped tightly, he went straight into the kitchen and brought a few more articles along with him before seating himself beside them.

"So how do we do this?" Kiba asked Sakura while pulling out a few rolling papers and started rolling a filter, tilting his head up to face her.

"Just make us the usual, I don't think I have it in me to last through a blunt." She twirled a strand of her pink hair between her fingers and lowered her gaze, biting her lip unconsciously.

"Cool."

Sasuke decided to count up to a 100 in his mind, contemplating all the ways he could get away from this situation he'd gotten himself into an wondered why exactly he had accepted the offer in the first place. Maybe he really was bored being cooped up in his parents' house, or maybe he just wanted to spend more time with Sakura. Anyway he saw it, he wasn't sure. He turned to face Sakura now, examining her body language. She was brazenly engrossed in staring at her new manicure and brushing her shiny black nails with her thumb perpetually before pulling out her phone to check her notifications. He felt a little left out at that moment and figured he'd make some conversation.

"So how did you guys meet exactly?"

"Didn't I tell you, we used to work together," Kiba replied while placing the crushed weed into the rolling paper slowly tapping it and moving it around to take its proper shape.

"Yeah you did, apart from other things," Sasuke added furrowing his brows and scratching his jaw with his fingers briefly.

Kiba and Sakura exchanged uncomfortable glances before returning to their former activities.

A knock was heard on the door before it opened on its own and a man in his thirties walked in along with a woman of around the same age, he wore dark glasses, a hoodie, and dark pants and looked stoic while she looked lively and wore her chocolate hair in tight buns.

"Shino! Ten ten!" Sakura got up from her chair to address the guests pulling each into a short hug.

"Gosh, it's been a long time you guys since we hung out right?" Ten ten turned to ask Kiba who plainly nodded and was engrossed in rolling them a joint.

"Yeah it has been, well um, I want you guys to meet Sasuke. Sasuke, this is my friend Shino from the Art department over at Konoha University and Ten Ten who heads the sports department there." She pointed to the people she was introducing him to. "Oh and this is Sasuke, he's going to be working on that house I told you guys I would be getting built this winter."

"Nice to meet ya, Sasuke. I have never seen you before?" Ten Ten move to shake hands with him.

"Yeah well, I just got out of the mental institution, I mean Rehab a couple weeks ago."

There was utter silence in the room, Sakura sighed and pushed her head back before rolling her eyes.

"Woah, so you got outta the loony bin eh?" Shino asked him, trying to break the awkwardness but only appending to it. Sakura slapped her palm onto her face before lowering her eyes. "Shino..." she uttered.

"It's alright, I don't mind at all. Yeah, I got outta the 'loony bin' if that's what you wanna call it."

"Hey man, that's great. So how was it?"

"Uh, the rehab? It was alright, it wasn't really that bad I mean after you get used to the cracks inside and the routine they make you follow, you'll eventually grow fond it."

Ten Ten widened her eyes staring inconspicuously and Sakura sighed once again.

"It's done! Someone gonna boom this or what?"

"I will," Shino replied before grabbing the joint from his fingers and bringing it closer to his lips. He lit it and inhaled deeply, before releasing the smoke.

They all seated themselves again and the joint rotated clockwise with Sakura, Ten ten, Sasuke and then Kiba in that order. It had probably been Sasuke's first J in the last few years. Ino was never really into much of these sort of things, in fact, she never really cared too much to even go out to socialize that often, or drink or smoke or anything for that matter. He sat there contemplating these things in his mind before Kiba brought out a few red plastic cups from the kitchen along with a bottle of Jack Daniels and started pouring them each a drink. Sasuke almost wanted to say no to him but he saw Sakura sitting there enjoying herself and decided to avoid being a 'pesky creature' like she'd call him.

They touched their glasses with each other muttering, 'Cheers!' and drank genially. Sasuke realize how very pleasant this whole get together really was, it wasn't too noisy, the people around him weren't mean or rude at all and engaged each other in appealing conversations that he'd never really had before. He felt at accord with his feelings and even began to speak about his estrangement with Ino and how he'd found her fucking her best friend in the shower, to which they all laughed and enjoyed at his expense. But for the first time in his life, Sasuke too laughed along with them. He felt for a second that it could just be the effects of the herb or it could just be him letting go of the episode altogether.

Sakura gazed at him, his composed form and admired the progress he'd made in such little time compared to all the mini-outbursts he'd tend to have every now and then.

The alcohol poured like water and the joints passed around without a pause. All five of them were now presumably high and in tune with their surroundings emotions and soon the atmosphere became a lot tenser. Questions Sasuke would rather avoid were now being tossed his way since everybody's turn to answer about themselves was over. He was the only one left.

"So Sasuke, now that you're out, how does it feel?" Shino asked him, before taking a sip of his drink.

"Well, it feels rather relieving, to be honest, to be out amongst other people and not be judged 24/7 by somebody just because they got a degree in human psychology, it feels easy you know." He flicked his eye between the rest and Sakura, who sat nursing her drink while listening to his response subconsciously interpreting it.

"And how are you dealing with it? You know the whole wife thing?" Ten ten asked.

"Oh uh," he lowered his eyes, looking at his hands now fidgeting sporadically, "We are working on it, we'll be working it. She and I, we are gonna get through this." He said before meeting them at eye level again.

They all sat in temporary silence once again. Sakura hastily drank the last of her drink, before the subject change entirely and they were all talking about the Kings vs. Giants game the next weekend and if any body was interested in going to go see it. The conversations lasted a good two hours before Sasuke an Sakura exchange glances and decided it was time for them to get going since it was way past dinner time already. Sasuke didn't have a phone at the moment an nobody from his home even knew where he was so he figured it was best he leave as soon as he could so that his mother didn't go into full blown paranoia.

"Okay you guys, enjoy the night but we gotta go," Sakura announced to the group lifting from her chair.

"What? Wait, I was just gonna roll us all another J here!" Kiba insisted.

"Umm, I think we'll pass, we have already smoked a good half a dozen spliffs already," she added moving to the door and Sasuke followed her before waving his hand at the trio now left at the dining table. Kiba shrugged and began crushing the weed and engaging in their conversation once again.

They stepped onto the porch and Sasuke brushed his hands together realizing the wind outside was quite chilly and they both were pretty wasted at the time. He got closer to Sakura who walked briskly drawing her shrug over her chest to evade the cold breeze, they swapped glances for a split second before swerving away entirely and then getting inside her car.

Sakura didn't shove the keys into the dashboard until Sasuke got in and they sat in silence for a few minutes. She turned to look at him while he kept his gaze straight up ahead before tilting his eyes slightly and she flipped her face back to face front and he basically mirrored her immediately, only appending to the awkwardness of the situation.

"I uh, I had a great time." He initiated before shifting a little in his seat.

"Yeah, so did I. I just wanted you to unwind you know since you are helping me with my house. No big deal or anything." She smiled sincerely.

"Thanks, I thought it was just a spur of the moment kinda idea." He faced her gauging her expression.

"No, I kinda figured you'd want to get out the house ya know, the only time you get out is to run or bicker with me." She smirked before chuckling.

"No, I don't." He raises an eyebrow.

"Yes, you do."

"No I don't just come out to jog and bicker with you, I have got other important things to do as well, alright?" He uttered before turning arrogantly to face away from her looking out of the window.

"Oh yeah, what kinda important things?" She leaned in closer to face him. He sensed her proximity and tilted his head slightly towards her, he finally took notice of her facial features up close for the first time. She had light freckles over her nose, a tint of red over her cheeks an deep kohl lined eyes that smudged into her eyelid emphasizing her jade irises that gorged out at him at the moment. His gaze lowered to her lips, her plump and puffed lips he'd always noticed before and stopped himself from staring at for too long. He couldn't stop himself this time. His eyes glided up to the bridge of her nose and then up to her eyes again. She was staring right at him and it took him a couple of seconds to realize how nervous he had started to feel, shifting uneasily in his seat.

She scrunched her eyes together gaping at why he'd started acting strange all of a sudden. His eyes flickered from her face to the dashboard in the front before he turned around to face her completely. He knew this was all the intoxication trying to drag the worst out of him. She leaned in closer blinking skeptically at him before he leaned in closer. She jerked a little backward before they got a little too close but was immediately thrust forward by his hand on her shoulder and his lips on hers.

It was sudden, the kiss. He savored her like a savage, biting her swollen lips like a child nibbling on his feeding bottle. She gave in a few seconds later bringing her hands to cup his face in an intimate gesture bringing his body closer to hers.

He nibbled on her lower lips and she let out a soft moan, before letting her head fall back as his lips trailed deviously onto the flesh of her skin. The smoothness of it causing his lips to glide over it.

He gnawed incessantly over the flesh of her neck and shoulders slipping his lips past the neckline of her dress and even lowering them further down to which she replied fiercely, moaning and gasping breathlessly.

He bit the soft, peachy flesh of her chest tenderly, marking her. Tracing his tongue now leaving a wet streak of his saliva across her chest and then all the way up to her neck, he brought his lips back to hers and kissed her deeply. She moaned emphatically into his mouth within the small gaps he'd spare her intermittently. She clasped her hands around his neck now even tighter and suckled on his lips before pulling him into another unrelenting kiss.

It lasted for a few minutes, their kiss. Before they pulled back and heaved with their staggered breathing, looking away from each other. Sasuke let out a low grunt before looking back at her and she kept her eyes in the front avoiding his gaze at all cost. His eyes dragged from her face to his sweatpants at the letter inside his pocket. He blinked in revulsion and his forehead creased in anger and disappointment. In an agitated fit, he yanked the passenger door open stepping out.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sakura asked him, who stood in between the door and the car before he closed it firmly on her face.

She stepped out of the car and watched him walk away before she started chasing him on her feet as fast as she could. She yanked him back by the shoulder, "What the hell was that?"

"Look, I don't know okay, maybe it was just the alcohol or the weed or maybe the heat of the moment, I don't know." He said turning away from her again.

"Don't you turn your back on me, that wasn't just because we were wasted. Why did you just kiss me like that?"

"I don't know okay, stop pestering me about it. It didn't mean anything. I am heading home, you should too." He walked away slowly.

 _'It didn't mean anything.'_

She watched his back slowly retreating away before she could realize how long it had been since she'd just been standing there before she got into her car and sped away.

 **A/N:** **You guys surely help me out with your reviews pointing out everything wrong here and there and I am glad I get to fix those things up so that readers ahead don't get confused while reading it for themselves. Thank you so much and do continue to review and tell me if you like the direction in which the story is going into because they are going to be quite a lot of changes now compare to the movie. The timeline will be the same but the story will be a little different.**

 **Sorry if I made spelling errors, It is getting pretty difficult to write this thing on my laptop now that keyboard doesn't work properly so I'll go fix that. See you guys in the next chapter!**


	6. Apology

**_Apologies for the SUPER late update. I must say I am thoroughly disappointed in myself but majorly in my laptop. Lol. But I suppose the problem will be fixed real soon. Enjoy reading an on't forget to review this chapter!_**

 **Chapter 6**

It could have been a total of thirty-five minutes he'd been running, and his house wasn't even ten minutes away. Yet he chose to run through a longer route, and stay off the main streets so Sakura couldn't catch up to him and coax him into getting into her car.

When he got home, he was soaking in his sweat. His dark blue t-shirt was wet from the edge, neck and the arm pits and he basically looked like he'd run the city marathon, with his panting and heaving.

Itachi stomped into the foyer to see who it was that sounded like they needed their inhaler and were having an asthma attack.

"Woah, what the fuck happened?"

"No-nothing," Sasuke pressed both his hands on his knees regaining balance and breathing intensely.

"Yes, something obviously happened, you mind explaining your state right now?" Itachi crossed his arms across the chest and leaned on to the wall. Mikoto slowly walked into the foyer standing behind Itachi with a spatula in her hand.

"Sasuke, honey what happened?"

"Go why is everybody so worked up about this. Nothing happened alright? Now get the fuck off my case and let me be!" He cried out and ran upstairs towards his room.

Itachi turned around to look at his mother who shrugged and sadly spun on her heel to walk back into the kitchen. His face saturated with fury now and he took to the stairs himself following his younger brother into his bedroom yanking the door open.

"What? Now you are gonna come, beat me up and force the answer outta me?" Sasuke turned around to face Itachi.

"You little fuck, you ungrateful little fuck! You need to learn some god-damn respect in this house. To your mother, your father and to me, do you understand that?" Itachi's fingers pressed achingly into the doorframe, a cracking sound emanating from its hinges.

"Oh I respect everybody the same alright, you can stop pretending like this isn't about you." He spoke angrily.

"About me? How the fuck could this be about me?" Itachi twined his brows together.

"Because your flaming swank-ass had the nerve to tell me about how amazing" Sasuke spread his hands around gesturing in measures, "your frickin' life had been compared to mine in the last few months. While I had to drag my ass down the rehabilitation center getting myself treated for my 'sickness', you, my man were minting all the money for our divine father. Who wouldn't give you the fuckin' time of the day if it weren't just for that. So don't you brag to me about all your accomplishments, big brother. Because we all know you only prefer second's; whether it was my place in dad's company or your apparent fianceé I slept with back in college."

Itachi stood in the doorway, letting every word sink in, to the very cartilage of his body. He was scowling, grimacing and fisting, all the while boring his eyes into the floor. Sasuke didn't move an inch, almost as if in anticipation of his brother's knuckles against his jaw.

But they never came, and neither did Itachi's anger that Sasuke had expected to have overflown by now. Instead, he just turned around and went back down the stairs leaving Sasuke standing confused in his room.

He sunk into the mattress and swung back, his head diving into the cushions and stared at the ceiling. He stared at the tiny glow in the dark planets and stars he'd once stuck onto it when he was young. Itachi had helped him up onto his shoulders while they stood on a chair and Sasuke kept gluing them one by one. Memories of his childhood flooded every corner of his mind, their walks to and from the park, him hanging out with Itachi's grown up friends and thinking it was cool, eating ice cream on the way back from school, tossing sand into girls' hair who'd get too close to him when they went to the beach. It was all too disheartening and calming at the same time.

He brought up his left hand up to his eye level and stared at the gold band on his ring finger.

Ino was his first love, she was seventeen and he was nineteen. She was a freshman and he was a senior. She was the stereotypical blonde beauty without the brains and he was the typical jock without an aim. And they'd fallen in love, and it was bad.

The first year was surprisingly a blur of events, they couldn't decide upon anything. Not about kids, not about a house, not about their in-laws and especially not about the elephant in the room; Ino and her petty male friends and Sasuke and his overburdening mood swings. She had finally had him settle down and pick up a well-paying job at his father's and she had given up her modeling dream for teaching at the elementary school. Yet she felt like the marriage lacked somehow and by the third year, she and Sasuke would have blown out arguments, fights and pissing contests everywhere they went. They stopped going to Sasuke's family's house for dinner nights, or Thanksgiving or Christmas or the Fourth. By the fourth year of their marriage, Sasuke tried bringing up the subject of children so they could help reconcile their collapsing marriage to which Ino automatically refused and claimed that she wouldn't want to bring up children in such a troubled household. By the fifth and final year when things were just too out of hand, she finally resorted to seeing her best friend behind her husband's back, sleeping with him on occasions, in the school, at his place and finally at her house.

Somewhere, in Sasuke's mind, he'd never forgive her. She was the one good thing that happened to him, the one person who loved him unconditionally. He never felt the intimacy he'd felt with her, with anybody else. She had violated that. Even his family never understood him the way she did. Yet his heart would always flinch at the betrayal at her hands and wonder why he even loved her so. Did he even love her the same way anymore? At all?

And from blonde, the images in his mind faded to pink. Sakura was like a breath of fresh air and a hard slap across the cheek at the same time. She was the spring breeze and the winter frost. Her eyes could hide the pain in them yet give away if you stared for too long.

He felt the taste of her lips on his. His fingers brushed across them remembering the touch of her soft skin against it. Even if he did try to drive the thought away, he knew he would lose. She just wouldn't get out of his mind that soon.

He had never felt so torn between two people. He had never felt such attraction towards someone he hardly knew and at the same time the affection he had for Ino, his wife and for being her husband all those years.

The gold band shone under the yellow lights of his room and he shifted his hand from side to side gazing at it, as if in expectation of an answer. The rumble in the pits of his stomach sent tremors up his entire system, and he jerked up, sitting on his bed. It was like the feeling you'd get on your first date with a girl you'd had a crush on since fifth grade. He couldn't fathom this upsurge of emotions anymore and dived back into the bed, launching into the cushions once again, falling asleep.

Morning came sooner than his acid reflux. His eyes fluttered open and he rubbed them profusely, his pupils shifted around randomly gathering the sight before him.

"Hey, there son," Fugaku leaned in closer to face Sasuke, sitting at the edge of his bed.

"Sasuke? Where were you yesterday, I wanted to spend time with you but you just disappeared and didn't come back for dinner and then Itachi came down all irritated with you and didn't want to talk to me. Tell me what's going on son, what-what's the matter?"

Sasuke groaned sleepily, shifting around to face his father who looked almost astonished by his ignorance.

"We got a really serious situation at our hands, you know that."

"What happened, dad? What's gotten you so worried?" Sasuke looked concerned now, wondering if he'd gotten himself into trouble again.

"We gotta beat the Oto Giants if we wanna have a chance of getting into the division, any chance of playing in the playoffs. Do you realize that?" His father looked on with more desperation on his face.

Sasuke raised a brow before falling back into the cushions and pressing his fingers to his temples, obviously bothered by his father's habit of exaggerating everything.

"I didn't realize that, Dad." He mumbled as he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, that's the bind we're in. I mean, I think it would be wise if we spent father-son time, reading about the Kings, talking about them, just to strengthen the good luck thing that you're in."

Sasuke's eyes rolled to the back of his head, he sighed deeply wondering when his father would take the hint and leave.

"Hn"

"Hn"

"Okay?"

"Uh-hn."

Fugaku suddenly turns away facing the other window, his eyes look glossy and his wrinkles manifest into a sullen expression before he speaks a few moments later. Sasuke watches his father, for the first time in years looking so worried and palled.

"Uh, Dad the King's will o great this season, don't get so worked up on your trivial bets with Kakashi alright?" He said reassuringly.

"I just wanted to, maybe I didn't, spend enough time with you growing up. I spent too much time with your brother. It might have made you feel worse about your behavior, but I didn't know anything, I didn't know how to handle it. I mean, that's what all this Kings stuff is about. It's about us, spending time now. I wanna do everything I can to help you get back on your feet. That's the whole point."

Fugaku sighs before continuing, "Yeah. I have always wanted to watch these games with you, talk about them, be able to relate to my little boy who's all grown up now. I never had time to give you, I always overworked myself at the office all the time when you were in highschool all the way through your college graduation. I really do want us to bond now. So would you, would you just come downstairs and talk to me and Kakashi now?"

Fugaku touches Sasuke's face, pressing his palm into his cheek. Sasuke nods and gazes into his father's exhausted eyes before risingungratified, sitting beside his father and hugging him from behind.

They both get off the bed and walk downstairs to join the rest in the living room.

Kakashi was reading the newspaper leaning against the chest of drawers and Mikoto was busy making them breakfast in the kitchen. Sasuke looked around but couldn't see Itachi around, perhaps he was just sleeping in late, it was a Sunday after all.

Sasuke spent the morning hours debating with Kakashi in the dining room about the outcome of the playoffs while his father kept tossing the newspaper around for them to read through the statistics of the game and decided about it more analytically instead of just throwing in assumptions. After breakfast, Kakashi took leave and pecked Mikoto on the cheek thanking her for the meal as well as Fugaku.

Sasuke took off after wearing his running shoes just after Kakashi had taken leave. He had the overpowering urge to wash off last night's events from his mind and wanted to do so by jogging it off. Well, as he would put it. For someone who was bad with emotions and conveying his feelings, Sasuke was still a very straightforward man. Even though he felt that what happened between Sakura and him was avoidable, he knew it was inevitable. He did not want her to confuse her feelings just as he had himself and wished to make it clear to her once again. But just as he jogged past her house, he picked up speed an avoided the confrontation entirely. It was as if something inside him kept nagging at his conscience telling him he wasn't prepared for that kind of a conversation. Surprisingly, even though he wasn't that far out from her block, she was nowhere in sight. He was perfectly aware of her routine and when she would come out for a jog but he couldn't see her anyway. It was as if she had either chosen a different route this time or maybe just isn't come out at all. He dejectedly ran back home.

"Dad, where's Itachi?"

"Honey, he's outside. Don't bother him, he's not in a good mood today." Mikoto replied instead and Fugaku who'd turned around to hear her had now made his way to his office room.

"You mean the backyard, mom?" Sasuke raised his brow.

"Uh…" she mumbled under her breath and fidgeted nervously.

"Cool." He said and paced through the kitchen yanking the back door open reaching out.

"Sasuke, don't disturb him.." her voice faded off as he walked out to find Itachi sitting comfortably on a recliner facing the pool, smoking a cigarette with a beer in his other hand.

Itachi was facing away from him as if gazing into the direction of the pool. His one leg clung disarrayed on one side of the recliner and the other was tucked under him. Sasuke walked towards him and stood a few inches away from where he sat, gazing into the pool himself. He shuffled around, chafing his feet into the brick floor brushing it softly to let Itachi know he was standing incase he hadn't already noticed.

After a few minutes of Itachi clearly ignoring his presence, he decided to intervene.

"You know, I am sorry about what I said last night."

Itachi scoffed.

"Well, are you now?" He took another puff from his cigarette and butt it out on the concrete and face his brother.

"Yeah, I am. I said a bunch of uncool things that probably weren't right of me to say and in no way did I mean for them to hurt you. I was just projecting my anger at the wrong person for all the wrong reasons." Sasuke turned to face away from Itachi, staring at the fences that surrounded the yard.

Itachi let out a deep chuckle before he swigged the beer bottle to his lips and took a sip. Sasuke shuffled his feet in the same spot restlessly as if expecting him to reply. But it never came. Instead, Itachi simply gathered his things and walked into the kitchen leaving an ungratified Sasuke standing all by himself.

Sasuke retired into the house and went upstairs to his room. He pressed his fingers to his temples and pace indecisively, wondering if he was having another one of his mood swings and if he should start upping his dosage or not. Tsunade wasn't seeing him on a regular basis anymore. They had decided to reduce the therapy and wait for the medication to work into his body for a while so she could infer it's response.

He shoved a hand below him be to pull out one of his books to read and pass his time away since there was nothing much he could do anyway. It was either jogging, helping his mother out in the kitchen or watching a game with his dad. All of which he didn't feel like doing at the moment. His hand touched the chart holder he had stowed away to work on later, he pulled it out and stared at it intently for a moment.

He had promised Sakura he was going to help her out in return for her help in acting as a messenger between him and Ino. He felt like he had strayed from that commitment, even though he hadn't signed on any formal paperwork of that sort. He now understood why he felt so directed at this moment in his life. He pulled out the charts an spread them out carefully onto the floor.

Minutes turned into hours of tracing, metering and drawing. Mikoto ha even voice out for him to come downstairs and have his dinner yet he ignore and continue working. She later comes upstairs to check on him and instantly felt glad he was pre-occupied with work hence went to the kitchen to fetch him food she brought for him to eat in his room instead.

A little while later, Itachi makes his way to his room and stands in the doorway staring at him from behind. Sasuke was too absorbed in his work to even notice. He cleared his throat to gain his little brother's attention. Sasuke jerked back up from his hunched posture to face him, his face held an astonished look.

"Look, I know you are trying to turn a new leaf and everything, but I have been doing some thinking myself, you know."

Sasuke kept quiet; he figured this wasn't just another one of Itachi's lectures or flashy remarks. He wanted to hear him out, it was rare of Itachi to ever confront his brother into a discussion that never led to a dispute between the two.

"Plundering your aspirations has never been my primary ambition, I promise you, little brother. I have always wanted the best for you. I always saw how father would ten to ignore your existence although he never meant to. He would never make time for you and so simple things like emotions, beliefs, and ideals never really germinate in your mind; you just picked things up from wherever. So when father finally realize your talent, he wanted me to make sure it was properly put to use,"

He sighed, "Now let me make this very clear to you, I never wanted to make you feel small in any way. I wanted to push you, forward that is. But it is I who was inferior to you, all along. I saw the genius you really were. So I wanted to hold you back from all the good things, fearing you would get the taste of things and move up the later. I stole ideas from you, your ideas. Father thought they were exceptional, but only they weren't mine, but at that time, he didn't have to know."

He made his way to sit on the edge of the bed to face Sasuke completely, "I am sorry for putting you through all of that misery, Sasuke. I never knew what you were already going through at home, with Ino. With yourself, with everything else. You see, I never really could be like you. I never really could be as large-hearted and forgiving like you. And when I saw you getting arrested, dragged down to rehab like that; I felt the weight of those choices. And I am sorry as hell, for not being with you when you went through all of that, all alone."

He tilted his face away from Sasuke, settling his eyes onto the window pane. Sasuke was already resisting the urge to cry terribly and could no longer hold it in. He wanted to tell Itachi how he had never expected him to say those things, but in that moment, only silence spoke for him and it wasn't like Itachi couldn't understand.

Itachi leaned lower and kneeled beside Sasuke to hug him from the side, both arms scooping his form snuggly. Sasuke wrapped one arm around his neck and rammed his face into his broad shoulders, sobbing incessantly.

"There, there. You keep that up and you're gonna make me go all mushy too." He chuckled deeply, patting Sasuke on the back softly.

"I thought that was your mushy moment." He mumbled in reply into his shirt.

Sasuke had overspent himself working hard on the rafts and had collapse on the floor, snoring sporadically before he found himself on his bed in the morning when he woke up. It was like childhood again only now he would actually feel grateful for all the things his parents were going for him. Some unconsciously and some out of guilt.

After a warm glass of milk, he wore his running shoes and sped off right from the porch. He knew what he was going to do today, he was just not certain if things would go as planned though.

He had spent nearly all his energy running at 10 miles an hour since the past thirty minutes and decided to stop altogether. He was clearly frustrate he hadn't seen her second day in a row. Clearly, she didn't want to see him. Clearly, he'd just have to confront her himself.

Which is exactly what he did. Just as he crossed her house, he stood stupidly on the road, staring at the addition to her parents' house right before she whizzed past him in what seemed like a millisecond. His eyes did a double take, to ascertain it was her he'just seen.

"Hey!"

She didn't turn to face him, she didn't even bother to stop, she just kept running.

"Hey! Wait, stop!" He chased her like she was the kitchen rat his mother had asked him to knock out.

She kept running, gaining speed with every house she passed and he couldn't help but regret the lack of stamina he had at the moment. Somehow, he ended up getting closer though but was completely out of breath so he decided to simply halt her by placing his hand on her shoulder, yanking her backward.

She turned around to face him as he panted endlessly.

"Look, I don't want nothing to do with you okay? So just leave me alone!" Her eyes narrowed to study him thoroughly. He looked paler from the last time she'd seen him, his scar had subsided and he was sweating like a pig, yet looked very handsome at it. She scowled internally, knowing how tempting he looked in that moment.

'What a waste of meat' she thought.

"Sakura, no! Just look at me, please just look at me." He spoke between sharp breaths, while his hands pressed hurtfully into his knees.

"Why are you doing this? I opened up to you, but you told me it didn't mean anything. So why are you doing this?"

"Because I-"

"Because you want me to deliver that letter to Ino right?"

He raised his eyes to look at her in annoyance, "No, because I want to help you."

She sighed deeply. They stood like that for about a minute.

"Fine."

"You forgive me?"

"You didn't really apologize?"

"I am sorry, Sakura. You do mean something."

She sighed again, "I forgive you."

They looked at each other for a moment longer before she spoke again, "Give me the letter then."

"What?"

"Don't you want me to give it to her? We are meeting tonight."

"Oh, uh, here ya go." He pulled out the envelope from his pocket and place it on her extended palm.

"Wow, you carry it around all the time?" Her emotions seemed thwarted for a moment.

"Yeah."

"You must really love her," she lowered her eyes.

"Yeah."

She smiled out of habit and walked in the opposite direction back to her house.

"I'll meet ya tomorrow, we got a lot to discuss."

"Mhm, she mumbled as she walked away.

The next day, he gets her the coffee and pretzels and patiently explains to her how the construction process will work. Commissioning of workers, masons, labor and other resources she'd have to pull together that he will be helping her with. Although he made it sound like it was a big deal, he shouldered all the load and assured her she wouldn't have to do much except for being there with him from time and again to make sure things went the way they were supposed to.

This meant a lot of his time with her.

Which meant a growing intimacy as the weeks wore on.

Which meant he'd just have to face the consequences of his former actions very soon.


	7. Bet

**Chapter 7**

Sakura could only wonder the kind of man Sasuke was in his college days. He probably loved screwing around with girls given he was such a hunk and all, but there was a part of her that was convinced he just hadn't encountered genuine passion either physical or mental in his life the way she had.

Yes, she was a promiscuous woman and had screwed around a fair number of times as well but it wasn't always just for fun. Usually, it was so she could explore a side to herself she hadn't before apart from not feeling alone, after Neji's death. She was the most versatile partner there ever was, according to every person she had ever been with. She would be willing to try out anything and everything. It was more about being independent in thought and action she believed. You could call her the 'Sexual Maverick'.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was a whole other ball game. Things were either black or white with him. Yet he wasn't confined to just one end of the spectrum. He enjoyed the standards of both limits in their own satisfying measures. His past encounters had been all trials and experiments of his predispositions. Yet, he wasn't quite sure if he had ever experienced the seventh heaven of ecstasy or not. He never really could tell how much of what he really liked. Whether it was submitting or dominating, he enjoyed both parts equally but never paid heed to experimenting beyond the realm of those two extremes.

While she sat in her living room, reading the books he'd get her from time and again, she couldn't help but let these thoughts occupy her mind. Even his choice in books were plain and ingenuous; Wuthering Heights, To Kill a Mockingbird, Kite Runner, a few of William Wordsworths' works and some of Shakespeares'.

They had decided to work on their own 'strategy' to evade all possible triggers of their mental disorder symptoms and had already worked half-way through them. Sasuke was no longer feeling depressed or confused about his goals and ambition, and Sakura wasn't drawn to losing control of her precarious emotions by sleeping with the immediately available person.

She would lend him her iPod every time they would meet to discuss the progress of her houses' construction and she would add new playlists for him to listen to for whenever his mind would drift along negative feelings.

They had developed quite the rapport and would go out a couple times a week for lunch after visiting the Beach Housing County. For some reason, Sasuke felt content with her presence in his life. He really didn't feel on edge every now and then and they would go jogging together every day, talking about their parent's and their childhood and sometimes even racing each other.

So when he formally asks her out to the major game coming at the end of the week, the Konoha Kings vs. Oto Giants; she wasn't really surprised.

"You know I don't like basketball right?"

"Yeah, I remember you bashing it a while back. But that doesn't matter, we're going anyway." He smirked and pat the dust off his trousers, rising up to stand completely. They had been busy overseeing the foundation understructure construction over the past few a days.

"And you just decided that?"

"Yup, I sure did." He turned away from her but she could clearly make out the smug face he had on.

"What if I said I didn't wanna come?" She questioned amusingly.

"Well then, I'll just have to skip it too then." He shrugged before turning around completely.

"What does watching the game have anything to do with me, Sasuke?"

"It has everything to do with you," she instantly turned to face him, emerald boring into obsidian, as he continued, "you see my divine Father at home thinks ever since I started work on your house, it has brought in good fortune for the Kings. Not only that, he thinks they have a challenging defense now and will easily sweep their way through to the playoffs. Which is why I ask of you, to come watch the game with me. Not like a date or anything."

She blinked rapidly, her eyes lowered to her feet as she grasped the statement.

"Oh."

"Yeah, so you're coming alright? Or else my dad's going to be really pissed."

"I have a strange feeling, that we shouldn't go altogether and just avoid it, maybe overdoing the luck thing could jinx it. You know what I mean?"

"See, now you're talking like Dad."

"Maybe I am just talking sense."

"You're coming, end of story."

He turned on his heel and walked up to her car, opening the passenger door and sat inside. She rolled her eyes and walked right on his tracks reaching his window and knocked.

"See this is why you should plan your conversations before executing them. Because you might think that things have worked out for you, but unfortunately you are wrong." She smirked craftily as she pulled out an envelope from her hoodie's pocket and pressed it against the glass. His eyes grew wide.

He rolled the window down and she paced backward.

"Ino replied."

"Give it to me."

"Not until you accept you almost lost the argument back there." She smirked annoyingly at him.

To her surprise, he really wasn't bothered. His eyes were glued to the manila envelope clutched between her fingers and for some reason, this troubled her.

"Fine, I admit it. Now give it to me."

"One more condition, you got to read it out loud." She faked a smile as she stretched her hand out, before yanking it back a few times from his grasp, teasing him incessantly.

"Fine, fine I'll read it aloud. Now just give it to me!"

He snatched it out of her hand and pulled out the letter from the envelope interpreting her reply. His eyes traveled along the printed lines as slowly and as fastly as they could restrain themselves from doing. He couldn't gather his thoughts together like he'always whenever he'listen to the curate playlists Sakura ha made for him. These words were burning into his cerebellum.

"I thought you were gonna read it out." She had crossed her arms across her chest and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Oh yeah, umm sorry." He cleared his throat before continuing, "Dear Sasuke, It was very emotional for me to get your letter, as I'm sure you can imagine, but I'm glad you took the risk of discreetly getting it to me through Sakura.

This gives us a chance to communicate while I keep the restraining order until I feel safe. I must admit you sound terrific and I'm happy that you are feeling so positive and becoming a

more loving and caring man, which I always knew you were. I was moved to read about 'Excelsior' and your belief in happy endings. I am also moved by how you have developed this simpatico relationship with Sakura and share your books with her and she shares her music with you.

I know you never really appreciated my choice in literature on one hand but I disagree. I think they are great works of art that

reflect how hard life can be and they can also help people prepare themselves for the hardness of life. In spite of all these positive developments, Sasuke, I have to say that if it's me reading the signs, I need to see something to prove you are ready to resume our marriage. Otherwise, I find myself thinking that we might both be better off moving on with our lives separately. Please don't react quickly to this, but take the time to think about it. I'm glad you're doing so well.

Love, Ino."

Sasuke folded the letter carefully and slipped it back into the envelope tucking it into his pocket, all the while straying his eyes away from Sakura's.

Sakura, on the other hand, looked deeply at him, trying to infer his exact emotions and acknowledgment to the letter so she could prepare herself to comfort him.

"I think we should go now," he said instead, as he walked back to the car.

She soon followed him but her eyes never left his sight as she slipped behind the steering wheel and pulled the car out of parking, speeding in the direction of his home.

The weekend came sooner than expected, and so did the much-awaited game between the Kings and the Giants. The stadium was roving with noise and air horns, whistles, and jersey-clad hunks and their wives or girlfriends that hoarded every crevice. As Halftime approached, Sakura realized Sasuke sat awfully close to her, almost in a clinging manner.

Now she hadn't told him what a real Basketball buff she really was and it wasn't going to be today either. She sat in the cramped space between Sasuke and another Kings supporter who looked twice that of Sasuke's size, almost as if Gym was his religion. She glared at him before turning to the court, his atypical stares and brushing against her shoulder and arms were constantly bothering her and she wanted to address him after the game was over.

The Kings were already doing bad and Itachi who sat two rows ahead with his friends, Deidara and Kisame were brazenly irritated. He even flung his popcorn bucket in anger when Dario missed out a lance pass letting Jikoshi score a two-pointer lamp shot.

"This is bad. We just got ten minutes left and we are behind by 12 points. This is really bad." Sasuke muttered almost subconsciously but was audible enough for Sakura to hear, who now turned to study his expression.

Bad is what greeted them by the end of the second penalty when all hope was lost as the Giants won 102-89, washing their asses away at their home court. By this time Itachi had already made his way out with his friends already, in all efforts of maintaining sanity and to have a drink with his buddies later on at the bar downtown. Sasuke and Sakura started to shuffle out through the arena gates while being surrounded by other viewers and fans as well.

Somehow the man who sat beside Sakura ha made his way through the crowd by now inched closer to her. After a few moments, he began his former actions again by brushing up against her rather harshly now and she turned around to scowl at him. Sasuke wasn't really focused at the moment and continued walking ahead not noticing how Sakura was a few steps behind him.

"Hey you got a problem or something?" she asked the man.

"Not really sugar tits, but I'd be willing to free you of yours if you were interested." He smirked, impishly.

She flinched before shoving him backward as he inched even closer and now was forced to shuffle back losing his balance. She glared once again and now he truly began to get angry, by moving forward lunging at her only to meet Sasuke's hand that grabbed his fist tightly.

Sakura took a couple of steps back while Sasuke's grasp on the man's fist loosened and he too stepped away from Sasuke.

"Yo man, stay outta this. You obviously ain't her boyfriend because if you was, you'd be paying more attention to her or something."

Sasuke's jaw clenched and Sakura watched over worriedly, "Sasuke, let's go."

He simply turned an eye and advanced towards the man and yanked him forward by the collar, "If you're gonna go around calling girls nasty nicknames like the one you just called her, then it'll no time before one of the guys punches your teeth in so you choke on it."

The man sniggered and shoved Sasuke back, freeing himself from his hold.

"What are you gonna o? Punch my teeth in then? All for calling her breasts a pair a' sugar tits? Hell, I should have come up with something better, I mean with an ass like hers who wouldn't-"

He got cut off by Sasuke's fist that connected to his jaw, thrashing him several feet away as Sakura yelped in fright advancing towards Sasuke.

She tugged at his sleeve trying to make him turn to face her but he simply stood there waiting for the man to retaliate. The man instantly got on his feet and prance forward throwing both his fists in the air which Sasuke grabbed, while balancing himself as the two now engage in a pushing contest; each one pushing each other further back. Sasuke let go of one arm and grabbed the man's collar once again and yanked him around in a semi circle shoving him into the wall and followed his suit by punching him several times in the face with both his fists.

"Sasuke!"

"Sasuke!"

"Sasuke please just stop!"

"Sasuke, you're hurting him. STOP!"

Images of Ino standing naked in the shower covering herself with the shower curtain appeared in his head as he continues to drive his bloodied fists through the man's jaw and cheeks.

Just as Sasuke was about to pull him up to his height and punch him again, Itachi pulled Sasuke back by his shirt and pushed him away to where Kisame stood before turning to face the man. He'd been beaten to a pulp, his face was squashed, bleeding profusely and there were lesions all over his hairline and cheeks.

Instantly, several police officers and security personnel flood the arena passage where they stood and started grabbing Itachi, Sasuke, and the wounded man and handcuffing them. Itachi gave in immediately and wanted no trouble but Sasuke wouldn't have it, he struggled, fought and pushed across every officer who made his way to him. Sakura watched in horror and shivered vigorously.

"Sakura, please call up Fugaku and tell him what happened," Itachi yelled before being pushed into a police car.

"Oh, that won't be necessary. We won't press charges unless this one asks us to. I'm driving you to your home so I tell him in person," Kotetsu came into view as he pulled Sasuke repeatedly and shove his head into the police car as well.

Sakura simply stood there in a daze and avoided the commotion before slipping away to the car park, pacing furiously in the direction of her car.

Sakura sat in silence for an hour in her car before she collected herself, turned the car keys around and started the car, pulled it out of the drive way and drove off.

Fugaku pace in the living room angrily whilst Mikoto tossed her legs from side to side, staring at her husband who looked beyond furious. Kakashi simply stood beside the television set, a finger tucked beneath his chin.

Just as Mikoto was going to break the silence by asking if they' like to drink some fresh lemonade, Sasuke, Itachi, Kisame, and Deidara walked through the front door into the living room facing Fugaku.

There was inarticulate silence in the room for a minute as everybody gazed at each other, accounting for their expressions. Just as Itachi walked forward to speak up, Fugaku interrupted.

"What'd you do,"

"What happened" Fugaku proceeded towards Sasuke and grabbed his collar, pulling him towards him.

"What-"

"Dad," he spoke in response.

"What the fuck happened" Fugaku's tone was louder than ever now and Mikoto rose from her seat advancing towards them.

"Dad-"

"The Kings lose, I lose a fuckin' fortune, a fortune to Kakashi! What the fuck did you do?! You fucking lost it! I thought you said you had it together! You were solid!" Fugaku stared down at his son, while Itachi brushed his palms off on his trouser.

"I am solid. I was solid at the game, Dad. I'm solid, I'm solid now."

"You fell apart! What are you fucking talking about?!" Fugaku's brows crease together in anger.

"Your son was trying to-" Deidara interrupted in Sasuke's defense.

"It's all fucking ruined now. It's all ruined." Fugaku state, letting go of Sasuke's collar and turning away.

"No, Dad!"

"It's all fucking ruined now! It's all fucking ruined!"

"No, Dad, Dad, Dad, don't!"

"It's all ruined, you little fucking shit!" Fugaku yelled turning towards him again, Mikoto gasped in shock.

"No, Dad! I didn't do a fucking thing! Come on, Dad!" Sasuke sprang his hand out, motioning him to calm down.

"You loser! You loser!" Fugaku yelled as he shoves Sasuke aside.

"I'm not a loser. " Sasuke stated emotionally, now on the brink of tears. Mikoto stepped between them, motioning Fugaku to sit on the sofa.

"You fucking loser! You ruined everything!" Fugaku spoke before sitting on a chair of the dining table.

"He was defending a girl from being molested," Deidara spoke in his defense again and patted Itachi's arm to get him to speak in defense as well.

"Yeah dad, he wasn't a mess, wasn't just thinking straight that's all. Any one would have done that." Itachi finally spoke up.

The door creaked open again and this time walked in Sakura. She turned on her heel and looked around until her eyes lay on Sasuke. She walked closer to face him completely and pulled his arm toward her.

"Who is this?! Who's this?!" Fugaku asked, spinning around to look at everybody.

"We need to talk right now! When you gave me all that bullshit about a strategy, I expected you to man up and figure your way around all that anger inside of you. But I didn't expect you to blow it all off on some random red neck who wasn't worth a cuss! It is not cool to be the guy who beats people around up like he's some vigilante. What is wrong with you?"

"I am sorry, I didn't mean for it to get all that dirty." Sasuke deadpanned at her.

"Excuse me? I was scared of you. I was scared of your actions, you seemed like a despicable person to me for a second. Lord knows you would have turned around and hurled your fist at me."

Sasuke glared at her.

"Who is this? What is this?" Fugaku asked in utter confusion.

"Dad, this is Sakura Haruno, Sasuke's girlfriend," Itachi answered after being seemingly frustrating about the whole situation.

"She is not my girlfriend."

"I am not his girlfriend."

"What is this craziness with Sakura Haruno?" Fugaku asked again.

"There's no craziness. I told you who she was, I was doing this project with her. We had a conversation!" Sasuke replied, and seemed flustered.

"She's fucking nuts! When you started spending time with her, it all fell apart. This is the fucking reason right here."

"You think I fucked up the Kings' juju, don't you?" Sakura retaliated.

"Ever since, ever since he was with you, ever since-" Fugaku trailed off.

"You think that I'm why today's happened?" Sakura spun a finger around pointing downwards.

"That's right, you are why today happened." Fugaku finally voiced.

"Let's talk about that." She walked across the room to put her hands on the edge of the chair, balancing herself before she continued.

"The first night that Sasuke and I met at my Temari's, the Kings beat the Forty Niners handily, 89-60. The second time we got

together we went for a run and the Nealies beat the Dodgers 98-79 in the KGCS."

There was silence in the room when Sakura finished.

"She's right, Dad." Sasuke looked at the floor, actually contemplating her words.

"The next time we went for a run the Kings beat the Falcons, 102-98."

"Wow." Sasuke unconsciously spoke.

"The third time we got together we had Tomato Salad in the diner and Konoha dominated River Bay in the fourth game of the World Series, 112 to 79."

"Let me think about that. Wait a minute." Fugaku turned his face away and started wondering.

"Well, why don't you think about when the Kings beat the Seahawks, 92 to 88."

"He was with you?" Fugaku turned around to ask.

"He was with me, we went for a run."

"Really? That's crazy." Deidara replied in wonder.

"There have been no games since Sasuke and I have been working every day and if Sasuke had been with me away from the game like he was supposed to, he wouldn't have gotten in a fight, he wouldn't be in trouble, maybe the Kings beat the Oto Giants."

"She's making a lot of sense, Dad. That's all right on all counts." Itachi responded.

"Does anybody here happen to know what the official motto of the country of Otogakure is on the official seal of the Otogakure? Huh? Anybody? Do you? Do you know? "Excelsior." Look it up. Yeah, "Excelsior.""

Everybody in the room gasped in shock, turning to words Fugaku who stood distraught in his own anguish.

"Oh, Sasuke," Mikoto murmured from behind.

"Not that I give a fuck about basketball superstitions, but if it's me reading the signs, I don't send the Kings guy whose personal motto is "Excelsior," to a fucking Giants game, especially when he's already in a legal situation." Sakura walked around the table, spotting a keg of beer lying.

"Unbelievable." Deidara state.

"Wow. How did you know all that stuff?" Sasuke asked Sakura.

"I did my research," Sakura said before snapping open a beer and sipping it.

"Well, I gotta say, I'm impressed." Fugaku turned to face her again

"Thank you." She replied sarcastically.

"I gotta rethink this whole thing. I didn't trust it before, but I gotta say, now I do."

"Oh, now you like her, Dad?" Sasuke asked Fugaku, mockingly.

"I have to say I do. Yup."

"Fugaku, I feel terrible, you know? You made the bet, I won a lot

of money, and now look, your whole family is in turmoil." Kakashi who had walked up to the group surrounding the dining table now spoke up.

"Oh, fuck off, Kakashi. You love it. You live for this shit. You've been betting against my father for years." Sakura spoke, provoking Kakashi.

"Is that right?" Sasuke turned to face Kakashi.

"You're twisting the knife right now. You get off on it!"

"That's bullshit! That's not true! Don't say that!" Kakashi raises his arms in defense.

"You get off on it! If not, then prove it. Prove it." She finally came to her agenda.

"Yeah, prove it, prove it!" Sasuke hollered back.

"How do you want me to prove it?" Kakashi asked.

"By giving them the chance to win back everything, double or nothing" Sakura propose.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no." Sasuke cried repeatedly, watching his father's expressions turn.

"Double or nothing on the Beacons, next week? Is that what you're saying?"

"No. We clear through to the playoffs," she sips from her bottle again.

Everybody in the room gasps, watching her as if she had lost it.

"You weren't betting on it were you, Kakashi?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, he wasn't!" Sasuke replied.

"I know he wasn't." She added.

"When does the season get over?" Sasuke asks her.

"Right around the time of springs break," Fugaku responded instead.

"Oh, God. You aren't serious, Fugaku." Mikoto muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Kakashi, I thought they you believe in the Giants. Don't you believe in the Giants?" Fugaku taunted.

"Of course I o, The kings will never make playoffs. And if I win this bet, you get no million dollar contract, no more bets. Hell, you even lose your signing with Chet." Kakashi affirmed.

"I like it," Fugaku stated.

"No. No, Fugaku-" Mikoto walked forward to meet her husband's gaze.

"I believe in the Kings, I believe in my son, I'll take the action. I'll take it." Fugaku crossed his arms across his chest and restated.

"Dad!"

"Fugaku, don't! It's toxic!" Mikoto finally faces him.

"I have faith, I have faith. Excelsior belongs in this house-" Fugaku told her.

"Dad, listen to me. I didn't know that "Excelsior" was the seal motto of Otogakure, okay?" Sasuke moves around to stand in front of Fugaku.

"I didn't know, either, but now I know."

"I know, but listen to me, this is toxic. Dad, Dad, Dad, this is toxic, you shouldn't be doing this, you shouldn't be doing-" Sasuke fumbles with his words.

"Fugaku, stop it! And Randy, don't you take the bet!" Mikoto cried out to finish Sasuke's words.

"In fact, I'll even throw in the idea of a parlay." Fugaku insisted.

"No, Dad! Dad!"

"You have to take that bet on the Giants and the playoffs." Fugaku insisted again.

"Mikoto, would you stop him?" Kakashi spoke.

"How could you not take that bet? Even with the ten points, I give you, that's an insane spread to your advantage. Giants are cowards. And I'll bet you're such a coward, you won't take the ten. Plus, are you listening, plus I know all about Sasuke's construction contract with Sakura. I knew it all along, so let's say that it gets over by the end of the playoffs.. how's that?" Fugaku spoke cocksure.

"What? No, no, no, no." Sasuke pulled his father from the shoulder to face him.

"You're crazy to give away that many points. That's ridiculous! I won't take that! However, wait a second. I do like the idea of a parlay." Kakashi brought a finger under his chin.

"What? No parlay! No!" Mikoto rejected.

"Will somebody please explain to me the parlay? Please?" Deidara spoke up.

"You gotta win two bets or you lose the whole thing. For Fugaku to win, the Kings gotta beat the Giants after entering the playoffs, plus Sasuke has to finish Sakura's contract construction by that time." Kakashi explained.

"That's very, very manic indeed," Deidara replied.

"That's the parlay."

"We are not doing any such thing." Sasuke insisted, "There is no way Sakura's house will even be half done by that time."

"Shake on it," Kakashi spoke.

"You know what? I'm not gonna be a part of this. Kakashi, Kakashi, you're a sickness. You're a fucking sickness, Kakashi. I'm out."

"Sasuke, you can't quit." Sakura finally spoke.

"I'm not doing the bet. I'm out."

"Sasuke, calm down. Think about it."

"See you later," Sasuke said before walking out of the room and out through the front door.

"Sasuke, no." Sakura tried going after him but only to be stopped by Itachi who grabbed her wrist.

"What are you doing?" Fugaku mouthed before Sasuke left.

"Sasuke."

"I'm out," Sasuke turned around to speak.

"You are not a stand-up guy right now. If it's me reading the

signs...if it's me reading the signs-" Sakura's words trailed off.

"If it's you reading the signs? You're reading the signs? Oh, okay." Sasuke mocked and walked out.

"Sasuke!" Mikoto cried out.

"You are not a stand-up guy!" Sakura screamed at the top of her lungs before Itachi pulled her back.

"I told you not to push it." Mikoto turned to face Fugaku.

"Yeah, but he's gotta do this thing. He can't be a quitter. He cannot be a quitter."

"You took that stupid parlay thing, and now he won't do the bet and, and you ruined it." Mikoto's temples ache.

"There's only one way to get him to accept." Sakura's voice broke their discussion.

"What's that?"

"We have to tell him it's a test to prove his love for Ino. To show her something. If he loses the bet, he loses Ino. He can never go back to her."

Everyone in the room stares at her before Mikoto gasps.

Sasuke walks out into the porch and sighs. He looks around the street before pulling out the letter Ino wrote to him. His eyes rake every word that fills the paper, in hopes of trying to convince himself in favor of the bet.

"He will never accept such a thing," Mikoto responded when she realizes no one else would speak up.

"It is the only way, I mean come on! He is a very positive guy, I bet he'll fall for it." Sakura reassures Mikoto.

"But that's a lie!"

"Oh it's a white lie alright, but we never know. Maybe she does fall for him again. Maybe it all works out for him." Sakura finished the last few words with less enthusiasm than before.

"It's a white lie, what's that matter? That's no big deal. So it's a little lie. You know, we gotta leave a trail of bread crumbs so that he can live his life without ruining it." Fugaku said.

"No. I don't approve. You can't do it." Mikoto crossed her arms across her chest now and huffed her breath.

"Well, you know, I didn't approve when you called her and you told her where he was running, so she could ambush him. I didn't approve of that, but you did it anyway, so I'm doing this anyway. That's it." Fugaku pointed at Sakura as he narrates his reasoning.

"We are gonna tell him now, right?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"You gotta be part of it." Fugaku turned towards Mikoto.

"Aren't you nervous to be playing with his emotions like that?" Mikoto asked Sakura.

"Yeah. A little bit. But it's for the best." Her lips twitched to smile softly.

The noise in the living room lingers off as Sasuke stands on the porch glancing through the letter before he stumbles upon a sentence that triggers him.

'...but if it was me reading the signs...'

Sasuke's eye twitches, he looks back over his shoulder at his house and then turns to read the letter again. The same sentence sparks a series of recollections in his brain before he gasps in shock and folds the letter, looking away from it.

Sasuke finally realizes it.

Sakura wrote the letter.

xxx

 _ **I know, I know. A cliffhanger. I know I haven't updated in a while but this chapter was really very hard for me to write. It's probably 6k words long and took me 3 days together to finish off. I usually take 4-5 hours to work on a chapter since I refer to the original movie script as well but this included way too many edits. I hope I made no errors, an I hope you enjoyed this.**_

 _ **Your reviews mean everything to me. Thank you for all the support. Love you guys.**_


	8. Nothing

**A little note before the chapter,** _ **I am so sorry you guys, after a review I received I just realized how many errors, both grammatical and spelling related I had made so I sat down and redid the whole chapter. Thank you for pointing it out, this is why I appreciate your reviews so much.**_

 **Chapter 8**

He had decided it was best to go for a run. After all, the ground had been swept from beneath his feet.

All this time, he'd imagined every emotion that might have coursed through Ino's mind while writing him the letter. Now, he felt like he had lost that battle. That perhaps, Ino did not even acknowledge him anymore or if it was best she didn't.

As he ran, he realized another thing; Sakura loved him. Or at least liked him enough to not want to go back to Ino. She had once called her a "succubus", which Sasuke had brushed off as a joke but now realize how strongly Sakura believed in it to want to keep them apart. He did not hold any resentment in his heart for her, just a speck of confusion.

Why did Sakura do it? Was it because she was worried for him, or was it because she just wanted him for herself. Either way, it was wrong of her to have affected his feelings like that.

He would just have to figure out the answers to these on his own.

So he kept running, and just when he was about to cross his house again and he decided he didn't want to anymore. Not because he was tired or anything, but solely because he wanted to face the reality of his choices. Running away like as if he was running away from his problems would only push any possibility of him getting better. He will have to confront these emotions inside him someday and defy all sorts of negativity that surrounds his feelings for Ino or Sakura.

He stood on the porch again, staring right at the front door and just when he was about to step inside, Sakura walked out. She took a few steps out to reach where he was standing and stared at him for a good minute. They both did, Sasuke's dark charcoal eyes drilled into Sakura's jade irises like they hadn't met in decades. Neither flinched for another minute and Sakura's lids drooped, her eyes falling flat on to the ground before she moved aside and walked away.

"I'll do it." He turned around to speak, she halted in her step, but she didn't turn around.

"I'll do the bet, your house will be finished by the end of the season," he spoke again.

"You don't have to do that." She finally replied.

"No, but I do," he sounded almost certain.

She turned around now to face him, eyes boring into his as she stepped closer to him.

"Why?"

"I gotta prove it to Ino remember? Gotta show her I am turning a new leaf and all," he cockily replied.

Her gaze broke and she lowered her eyelids again, sighing sorrowly.

"Yeah, you do." she muttered before turning around again to walk back to her car.

He knew he had exactly 72 days to make it in time to win the bet. So work became a part of his quotidian lifestyle of mapping, interacting with his workers, supply acquisitions, and momentary planning of changes in his rafts every now and then for which he would need to converse with Sakura of course.

Nothing happened with out her approval and this made her very content since it was her house he was going to be building.

The final design after many rectifications stood as such: A two-level housing with different living experiences, the upper level had the master bedroom with a lap pool and an expansive sun deck and the lower level held two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a family living. The upper level is connected by two ramp staircases, one inside the house and one outside. The lower level also offers a wraparound porch to bring living spaces outside and to take advantage of the waterfront setting's views and breezes. The front door opens in such a manner that the beach is on your left shoulder. A covered parking to the right of the beach house and a beach garden with enough seating for twenty something people. The floor plans were typically designed with the main floor raised off the ground - to allow waves or floodwater to pass under the house.

It had already been a rigorous month of constant construction and the lower level had taken shape very well. The porch was complete and all frames, beams and holding structures as well. All that was left was tiling, painting, partitions, wiring and other details.

Sasuke had decided to give the laborers a day off so he could clear things out in his mind and start working on a redraft of the upper level to make sure everything was to perfection. It had been a couple of hours since he'd been seated on the porch in front of a makeshift desk, maneuvering sheets to stay in place with his paperweights and neatly drawing lines an erasing some when Sakura's car pulled in the driveway.

He turned around to face her, as she stepped out and embarrassment at him. He simply nodded in reply and continued his work. She walked up the stairs to the porch and stood behind him. He turned and now to face her completely and took notice of her attire; a floral crimson sun dress and her feet sans her usual black ballerinas were now clad in chocolate wedges, and her hair was tied up in her regular messy bun but the cross pendant was nowhere to be seen. She looked rather dulcet compared to her former gothic appearance. Yet instead of smiling, he simply frowned and turned back to face his rafts.

"Aren't you gonna say something to me?" Sakura beleaguered.

"Hn," was his only reply.

She stomped her wedge on the floorboard softly before announcing, "Come on, we are going for lunch."

Sasuke smirked casually whilst facing away from her and waited for her to coax him some more, which she immediately did. She clutched his arm and slung her arm around it and pulled him up from his desk dragging him through the porch and bringing him to the car. He finally freed himself from her grasp and ended up tripping her, her wedges getting impaled in the sand. His arm slung around her waist as she clutched his arm like her life depended on it.

He looked into her eyes without raising her up, and she clung to his arm helplessly. One arm tugged at his shirt and her legs were cradled by his. Emerald shone at charcoal and both gasped efficiently. Sasuke pulled her closer, raising her body but not bringing her to her feet upright, instead he pulled her into the direction of his body. Her eyes move forward until they were merely inches away from his. She bit her lower lip lightly, almost reluctant to being drawn any closer.

Sasuke sensed her sudden discomfort and immediately brought her to her feet so she moved freely. She swiftly walked around and stepped inside the car and so did he.

They sat in silence for about a moment before Sasuke broke it.

"So, where are we headed?"

Sakura jerked back from her thought, "Oh, umm well you'll see when we get there."

Sasuke shifted in his seat and kept staring at Sakura for a while as she reversed the car and drove off. It had almost been a good twenty minutes before the car pulled into the parking of a cafe and the two of them stepped out.

"A cafe? Real original, Sakura." Sasuke spoke as he smirked.

Sakura returned him a saucy smirk and pulled him by the arm, slipping her fingers through his and casually brushing up against him as they walked into the cafe. He eyed their intertwined hands as he followed her lead.

The cafe was nothing like what it looked like from the outside. It was quaint, peachy and gave off aestival summer vibes. Sakura motioned him to a quiet seating facing the beach and they both sat down.

Sasuke looks directly at her in marvel wondering why she brought them here in the first place. By the looks of it, the place would be quite an expensive one, and despite him being under contract and receiving a payment from Sakura, he wasn't sure if he could afford it at the moment.

As if on cue, Sakura place an assuasive hand of his and spoke, "It's on me."

He pulled back from his thought and replied, "No, that's not fair."

"Oh come on, I mean I owe you this much, Sasuke." She smiled with dalliance.

"What's all this about anyway?"

She pressed her fingers against his hand gently, "For everything."

He looked away, brushing off the heat that surfaced across his cheeks. She slowly pulled her hand back and slipped the menu between her fingers instead, pretending to be reading with concentration. He followed suit and the two sat in silence once again before the hostess arrived. They ordered and the hostess left, swaying her hips a little too playfully after taking notice of Sasuke, Sakura tilted her face in her direction and watched her walk away from their table and smirked to herself.

"What?" Sasuke inquires.

"Heh, nothing." She giggled.

"It's obviously something." He asked in a brooding tone now.

"Nothing interesting." She tried to neglect his question.

"Come on, why do you have to be such a tease?" He sounded clearly annoyed now.

"Dude, you need to calm down. You can't always get all Red raging bull every time you are denied something." She pushed the menu aside and moved closer to his face.

"Dude?"

"Well, yeah. Unless you are implying you're a little too old to be called that now."

"I am not saying anything. If there's anyone who's old here, it's definitely you."

"Sasuke, I am 28 years old. You've probably already seen it on the paperwork, don't act like you didn't know."

"Yeah, I knew that." He crossed his arms across his chest.

"So what, you're saying you're younger?" She gave a vicious smug before moving a little closer to him.

"No, but I still look younger."

Her brows raise mordantly. She smirked before sipping water from the glass before her.

"What you're not gonna respond to that?"

"I am not gonna deny what you already just said. I mean the waitress couldn't take her eyes off of you."

"What waitress? You mean her?" Sasuke pointed to the hostess who was now walking down the steps to reach their table and could easily hear him.

"Hey lady, I am married if you were wondering." Sasuke flashes his wedding band in her face as she placed his grille tomatoes in front of him. She stood there a little humiliate as Sakura choke on the water she was drinking. The hostess simply nodded and faked a bright smile, as she places another plate in front of Sakura.

"Well, I hope you two, loved ones enjoy your lunch." She smiled once again before leaving.

Sakura let out a shrill chuckle as Sasuke scowled furiously.

"Well, it is a date anyway." She mused.

"No it isn't," he pulled the napkin out and placed it on his lap.

"Sure it isn't." She unfolded her napkin as well.

"We are not a couple." Sasuke made a quick riposte.

"Are you saying you want us to be a couple?" Sakura chuckled as she crossed her fingers together over her plate, staring intently at Sasuke.

"I did not imply that whatsoever." Sasuke picked up his cutlery.

"Of course you didn't." Sakura did the same.

"Jesus, what is with you and the sarcasm?" Sasuke asked irritatedly.

"Heh, well I am just saying you are quite repulsive to the idea of us dating." Sakura sipped the smoothie she'd ordered.

"I am married, Sakura."

"Oh yeah, and how's that going?" Sakura smirked infectiously while nibbling on her broccoli.

"I'd wipe that smug off your face." He muttered while munching on his salad.

"I'd like to see you try."

Their eyes met in a voracious stare as they filled up on their physiological one. They continue to eat at a steady pace and broke eye contact in between, without speaking a word. They would intermittently steal glances of each other and Sasuke even end up choking on his tomatoes once when he saw Sakura bite his lip so hard, it turned a vivid shade of pink.

"Why do you do that?" he asks her.

"Do what?" She forked her salad while looking at him.

"You know, the lip biting thing. It's very distracting." He nudged his napkin wiping his lips.

"They wouldn't be so distracting if you weren't paying attention to my lips all the time." She smirked slightly while nibbling on the potato wedges.

"I was not staring at your lips." He inched closer to her face.

She cleared her throat before moving closer as well, "But you are, now."

Sasuke's eyes were too busy engulfing the sight of her swollen pink lips that sat parted by a few millimeters, a dab of her lip gloss still present on them. His eyes darted back to her eyes and he took notice of her smug expression and rolled his eyes.

"Nothing wrong about staring at stuff for a few seconds." He picked his glass and started drinking.

"Yeah, you're right. Nothing wrong about a few fleeting kisses here and there either." Sakura toyed with the remaining vegetables on her plate before meeting his surprised gaze.

"Let's not bring that up, okay?" Sasuke mumbled loud enough for her to hear.

"Oh yeah, that's right you're too embarrassed to admit we shared a kiss." She looked down at her plate again.

"I can't say I was embarrassed, it was a mistake, that's all." He looked away this time when he answered.

She looked at him and interpreted his sullen expression for regret.

"So you didn't like the kiss you mean," she muttered.

His eyes darted back at her before he took notice of her feigned expression.

"I didn't say it was a mistake because I didn't like it. I said it was a mistake because I liked it." He answered to her muted query and looked away again to avoid her gaze.

His cheeks burned furiously revealing just how ashamed he was of his confession and Sakura immediately remarked. His brows twitched convulsively as he realized she was staring at him unremittingly and he bit the insides of his cheeks to control the rouge that had spread across his cheeks uninvitedly.

"Why did you agree to work with me?" she asked him after wiping her lips with the napkin.

"You know why" he looked towards the ceiling and his eyes kept rambling about the room.

"No, I don't. Care to elaborate?" She picked up the menu card again.

"Well, lets put it this way. I feel like this is therapy for me. Work always tends to calm me down, bring me into a routine and discipline me. I want to be a better man, a better person, better to be-"

"-to be with Ino." Sakura completed for him.

His eyes level with hers. The corner of her lips twitched in hesitation and she looked away before regaining her composure and smiling.

"Yeah... I guess." Sasuke whispered, almost as if to himself.

"So what's going on with you these days, you know apart from the whole house thing" Sakura inquired, suddenly changing the subject.

"Oh um, nothing much. It's just the usual. Same old mom and dad, the routine home drama. I mean Itachi's still around so I guess I don't have to deal with my parents all the time like I had to before." He shrugged.

"Wow, you seem like you got a lot going on I guess." She widened her eyes to emphasize her point.

"Yeah, I guess. But I suppose you are too, right? I mean aren't you like seeing that guy, Kiba or something." His eyeballs lammed the sight of hers, avoiding them.

"Kiba, what no way! We were never a thing, I mean only when I worked at my office though but not anymore. We don't even talk that often, I think he has a girlfriend or something." She moved uncomfortably in her seat.

After a few more minutes of conversation, the duo walked back to Sakura's car before riding off back to the Beach housing county.

Just as they walked out of her car back to the porch where Sasuke had been working, the two jerked back in surprise as they saw a blonde man waving at them, with a contagious smile plastered to his face.

"Naruto?" Sasuke exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's me, back from the dead, alright," Naruto screamed.

"Woah, what are you doing here"

"Well as happy as you appear to see me, your Mom told me you'd be here." He replied a little irritating.

"Wow, you got out," Sasuke announced.

"If one of your two supervising physicians loses their license,

then your whole adjudication is thrown out."

"I never understand what this guy means," Sasuke replied turning towards Sakura. She smiled shyly in response.

"So who's the lovely lady here, Sasuke" Naruto face Sakura now.

"Naruto, this is Sakura." Sasuke turned to gesture at Sakura.

"So is the girl, that you wrote about?" Naruto raised a blonde brow.

"Yeah," Sasuke place a hand behind his neck and brushed it in embarrassment.

"What? He wrote about me? I'm "the girl"?" Sakura asked Naruto in astonishment.

"He wrote about you, all right." Naruto's lip twitched in frolic.

"What'd he say?" Sakura inquired in amusement, as Sasuke shuffle around in clear embarrassment.

"He said you guys was helping each other out and you were nice and pretty and had a mouth on you, that you were mouthy, but he liked-"

"Whoa, whoa, that's enough." Sasuke shoved Naruto into the house so he wouldn't speak any further.

"No, please, tell me more about what he said in the letter." Sakura questioned Naruto again, almost in sheer amusement.

"Yeah, anything you wanna know, I'll just tell you. It was nothing. It was just a very general letter." Sasuke retorted.

"Cool," Sakura smirked back before following them inside.

After touring around the house and being directed by Sasuke, who showed them around every aspect of the house that was complete they settled to sit on the porch.

"She's fine." Naruto looked at Sakura while speaking to Sasuke.

"She is my friend with an "F."" Sasuke replied.

"A capital "F." " Naruto emphasize while Sakura looked between the two in an unsettling manner.

"For "friend."" Sasuke replied again.

"So Sakura, you seeing anybody?" Naruto asked boldly. Sasuke's eyes turned a whole 360 degrees in their socket.

"Umm, wow. Well, not at the moment I am not." She smiled at him modestly while turning her eyes to look at Sasuke who was fuming on the inside yet look cool on the outside, although he leaned towards Naruto now pressed his weight onto the stool.

"Sounds great, I mean if my man Sasuke here hasn't already got his eyes on you, I wouldn't mind stealing you away," Naruto smirked ludicrously.

"Uh, she is married Naruto. Just like me." Sasuke response to his inquiry.

"Yeah, to a dead guy, Sasuke." Naruto ae before turning towards Sakura after realizing what he'd just said. To their surprise, she seemed stoic and didn't really mind.

"I don't think I will be dating anybody for a while, Naruto," Sakura responded to his question.

"Well, too bad I guess."

"I am glad you came though, I got to meet you and all. Sasuke did mention you a bunch of times to me. How you'd prank the orderlies back at the hospital." Sakura spoke.

"Oh yeah, my boy Sasuke here was no less either." Naruto placed an arm on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Not compared to you I sure wasn't."

"Well, yeah I suppose yeah. I gotta get out of here. I gotta go

see this girl, Hinata. She lives on this side of town." Naruto admitted as he got up and the three of them walked out of the porch into the drive way.

"Yeah, go see Hinata. Good idea." Sasuke muttered. Sakura tilted her face to look at him with peculiarity. She took observe how austere he ha just turned for a while there when Naruto had wanted to ask her out. She let out a low chuckle unconsciously. Sasuke's head bobbed around to look at the source of the noise.

"What?"

"Oh nothing, just noticing how particularly annoyed you just got when Naruto asked me if I was available."

"Tsk! Not at all. He's just not a nice guy when it comes to relationships that's all. He's got anger and addiction issues Ya know." He turned around again and faced the sea shore.

"And you don't have anger issues?" Sakura raised a rose brow.

"I am quite different from what he is, Sakura." He tilted to face her.

"Sure you are."

"What are you trying to say here?" His brows entwined.

"That you didn't like the idea of him and I going out that's all." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"I couldn't care less." Sasuke turned back to face the shore, but his brows were still knit in annoyance.

"I have a hard time believing that, Sasuke."

"Well, then what is it that you believe?"

"I believe you are still confused because of our kiss."

He turned all the way around now and his face reflected that he was provoked.

"I am not confused about the kiss, Sakura. I told you what it was. I don't need to repeat myself."

"So you're saying, it really meant nothing."

Sasuke's eyes sank into Sakura's, the two stood there facing each other in silence for a moment before he spoke again.

"I am saying, you shouldn't dwell on it anymore." He turned away again.

Sasuke obviously couldn't have noticed the anguish that spread all across Sakura's face now, and the aching in her chest. She merely turned around and walked back to the car.

"Come on, it's sun down, I'll drop you home."

Sasuke turned around and followed suit. The drive back to Sasuke's house was quiet and almost border line uncomfortable. Sasuke felt a pang of hostility from Sakura throughout the ride but didn't prod her with any questions about it and simply nodded before stepping out of the car as he walked up to the front door of his house. He turned around to wave at her but she had already sped off. He stood there staring into the distance of the road before entering his house.

He could hear the distinct sound of Shikamaru's nasal voice and Itachi's verbalizing on a discussion as he walked into the living room where they sat.

"Oh hey, it's the man of the hour himself." Shikamaru walked up to Sasuke before hugging him.

"Shikamaru, what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? I haven't seen your face in ages so I thought I'd come own but you weren't there. So I bumped into Itachi here who was telling me everything about what you've been doing."

"He did, did he," Sasuke mumbles as he shifted his eyes to stare at Itachi who looked away as he sipped from his beer bottle.

"Man, I gotta say, I am thoroughly impressed. I mean I always knew you had the potential man but now that you're actually doing it. Hell, Ino would be so exciting for you, Sasuke."

"Ino?" Sasuke raises a brow.

"Yeah, man she's going to see what incredible recovery you've made and she's gonna jump right back into your arms, I am telling you." Shikamaru grinned.

"You told her?" Sasuke asked.

"No not yet, but I will, alright. I mean she has to know." Shikamaru turned to face Itachi and walked towards the sofa before taking a seat beside him.

Sasuke stood there in silence as he watched the two of them mutter to each other and switched channels on the television. His mind was obviously not present and was already straying to uncanny situations in his mind.

 **-XXXX-**

 _ **Okay, you guys have out done yourselves. Never has a chapter of mine crossed 200 unique visits within a day. That's right, Chapter 7 crossed 200 within a day and 320+ views.**_

 _ **Sorry for not updating in a while but I promise this story is 80% one and has only two more chapters left which I'll post soon enough, probably wrap this up by next week.**_

 _ **Thank you so much, but don't forget to review. We are just two chapters away from the end. Leave any story requests on my PM, since I'll be starting my new story in October or maybe late September.**_


	9. Signs

**Chapter 9**

Christmas, the New Year and the Super Bowl arrived and departed like insignificant days for the Uchiha while he had been deeply invested in the project for the last two months.

The Uchihas and the Harunos as time went by had grown closer just as Sasuke and Sakura had. Some nights when Sakura would come visit Sasuke because he'd ask her to come over to watch a movie or maybe discuss some construction issues, she'd end up sleeping over at his place only to be received by Mikoto in the morning who'd offer her an excessive spread of breakfast.

Sakura hadn't raised the subject of their very passionate encounter from a few months back like she had done twice before and now they had somehow settled into a good suite concord with each other. Never interfering, never quarreling over silly subjects, always respecting each other and never calling each other "crazy" again. Sakura was almost convinced Sasuke was over Ino because every time she'd bring up the subject, he'd scat.

Somehow now, it was Sasuke who was very inquisitive and interested in knowing about her and Neji's relationship, marriage or whatever little time it was that they had spent together. He had seen Sakura, turn a deaf ear to all of her therapy sessions and would not take medication at stipulated times. She was somehow still going well, better than she was before.

The clock was also ticking on Sasuke's completion of her house. The bet still held up and Sakura was very confident about Sasuke's abilities, and that he would complete it on time. It all now depended on how the Kings performed in the playoffs, which had started right on schedule a couple of days ago.

What once used to enervate Sasuke on a daily basis before, now made him entirely comfortable since he'd made peace with her on certain terms. Sasuke had made sure that she was convinced that whatever relationship existed between them was purely platonic and not one of any intimate nature. They were only helping one another and were friends, nothing more. At least that is what Sakura thought, now that Sasuke had put in all that effort into proving to her.

So this one Saturday evening when Sakura was invited over at Sasuke's place to watch the Kings take on the Invaders; the only game they had to win before they made it to the playoffs if they won, she made sure that she didn't look too dressy or fancy and chose to simply wear her usual grunge-inspired black sweater and cut-offs, teamed with a huge black shrug that draped all over her arms and hung close to her knees. Her cross returned back to her neck and black teardrop earrings encased her ears.

Sasuke opened the door when the bell rang and immediately knew it would be her. What she didn't know was she and him would be the only ones watching the game that day since the rest of his family were out to watch the game in the stadium itself.

"Hey," she whispered through the fog that enveloped the doorway now. Sasuke quickly pulled her in as the cold started to fill the foyer.

"It's like 20 degrees, what are you wearing? Sasuke quickly turned on his heel to face her.

"Well, I thought it would be comfortable since you have a fireplace and all, and there'd be people around too so it wouldn't be that cold right?" She inquired while pulling her shrug off and hooking it onto the coat hanger.

Sasuke jostled past her and pulled her shrug off the coat hanger and drew it over her shoulders again. Sakura looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"What are you doing?" she inquired this time in a pitchy tone.

"I forgot to tell you that we'd be watching the game alone, so you don't have to strip in front of me since we'll be the only ones watching. Fewer people, less heat. You'll only feel cold." He kept his eyes on a random spot on her forehead and pulled the shrug over her shoulders before turning away and walking into the living room where the flat screen made stochastic noises of commercials.

Sakura stood in the foyer, even more mystified than before as she shuffled her way into the living room following his steps.

"You didn't tell me we'd be alone." She mumbled loud enough for him to hear.

"Yeah well, I didn't know my family was going to the game so when I heard I told them I didn't wanna attend given all the rumpus we created the last time. Thought I'd just watch it here," he shuffled through the kitchen while his voice filled the living room, "-with you." He finished.

Sakura's eyes darted in the direction of his voice as his sentences finished. And they continued to narrow as they descended to stare at the floor she stood on. Sasuke returned from the kitchen and quickly took in her expression.

"Something the matter?" he asked her, after noticing hown unnerved she appeared.

"No. I just didn't think you'd invite me over like this. With your family not around and all. We've only really hung out here with them in the house but never alone," she spoke in a mellower tone than before and proceeded to trail her eyes across the floor avoiding his gaze.

Sasuke walked a few steps towards her and she instantly jerked back. He stopped in his step and held his hands out to show her the two glasses he held. Her eyes raked them and he gestured to the bottle of rum that sat on the table before them. She nodded gently and turned around to sit on the sofa.

He walked back to the sofa and held out one hand towards her, a glass filled with an inch of rum diluted with soda. She grasped it with both hands and cupped it like one would hold hot chocolate. Her oversized sweater fringing at her knuckles. Sasuke gazed curiously before sitting beside her. He noticed how she was rather withdrawn and submissive today.

He leaned back on the sofa and sat comfortably, while she sat in an upright position with the glass still untouched. The commercials had finally come to an end as the game started off with its typical table scores, adverts, and commentary. Sasuke had already finished half of his glass while Sakura's drink was still intact. It was going to be half-time soon enough and he cleared his throat a few times just to bring her out of her trance, to which she paid no heed. Her eyes were clearly glued to the screen and it was almost as if like he didn't exist in the same room.

He decided to finish his drink and ask her once he'd get up to get himself a refill. Just as he got up, he turned to face her and immediately noticed how still she was, almost as if she were too intimidated to even respond.

"Are you alright, Sakura? You haven't even had a sip of your drink."

Her eyes raised up to meet his and blinked wearily. She nodded softly before raising the glass of rum to her lips, sipping the burning liquor slowly. His eyes squint in curiosity and he shuffled through the room to the table, pouring himself another glass of rum.

He walked back to the sofa and sat down, this time a few inches closer to her. As he leaned back to sit comfortably, he watched the poor thing next to him shudder gently. His head unconsciously shook from side to side almost in denial to what he was observing. His arm grazed hers as he pulled her to face him.

"Sakura, is something the matter?"

Her viridian orbs first stared at his arm and then at his penetrating eyes. "No, Sasuke. It's nothing."

"Well then, why are you so intimidated today? You've never been so terrified around me before."

"I am just a little worn out today that's all. Nothing to worry about," she smiled strenuously in an effort to convey her statement.

"Worn out? How come?" His brow quirked in reaction.

She fiddled with the glass in her hand before pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Umm, just that I was out today. You know, with friends. I might start work at this agency next month so I wanted to catch up with them before things get even more hectic." She said while her eyes never left the fabric of the sofa behind him.

"You got a job?" His eyes widened.

"Yeah, didn't I tell you? I'll be working as a travel consultant with Homura's from next month." Her eyes finally met his.

"No. You didn't tell me."

"Oh, I am sorry. My head's been disorganized this whole week."

"Yeah, how come?" He straightened himself out sitting a little more upright to match her position although he still was close to the sofa than she was. The noise from the television dispersed as the commercials came on.

"Umm, well with some things that's all. Nothing too significant." Her arm waved.

"When did you even go to give this interview?" He brought the glass close to his lips to take a sip.

"Oh no, I didn't give an interview. A friend helped me out with a reference and well there was my resume so yeah, they basically bought my whole story with not too many questions. It was the perfect deal." She smiled slightly.

"Perfect deal huh? Say, who was this friend?" His eyes met her's drilling almost sternly.

Her eyelids flickered in panic as her eyes darted away, "Um, just a friend from my old office. You wouldn't know them."

"You could have just said it was Kiba," he stared at her for a few more seconds before turning to the flat screen and drinking again.

Her head cocked in his direction and she gasped slightly before letting out her breath. Her eyes slowly receded towards the flat screen as they sat in silence once again.

The game was well into the second half and the Kings were sweeping the floor with the Invaders. The score was 78-60 and Sasuke's second drink was over too. He waited for the commercial break and quickly got up. Just as he was going to walk away he habitually turned around and saw Sakura had finished her drink as well.

"You want me to refill that?" He gestured with glass in his hand.

"Oh no, I am good."

He stood for another moment before speaking, "You aren't drinking tonight?" His brow raised in curiosity.

"Uh, I was not intending on. Since I got an early day tomorrow." She smiled gently.

"Oh. Okay, well, in that case, I'll drive you home. You came walking right?"

"No that'll not be necessary. I won't be going home straight away. I need to to go visit a friend first." She turned away from him this time.

"In the middle of the night? I thought you had an 'early day tomorrow'?" His eyes narrowed almost in surmise.

"Uh, I do. Jesus, Sasuke. Whats with all the questions today?"

"Uh, I don't know Sakura, whats with all the feeding-me-bullshit today?" He replied almost too harshly.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand what this has to even do with you? Why does it even matter if I want to simply go meet a friend in the middle of the night?" Her eyes screamed in emphasis defensively.

"Well, it is my business. You see, you came to watch the game at MY place and it's dark outside and it's too late. And it is only courtesy that I drop you back home which is why I inquired. But now you want to go over to some 'friend's' place in the middle of the night to do lord-knows-what and if something happens to you, your parent's are going to blame me." He motioned with his arms out.

"To do lord-knows-what? What do you mean by that?" She asked in annoyance.

"Well, whatever it that you are going to be doing at this guy's place Sakura!" His eyes shifted away from her.

"Did I ever tell you that I was going over to a 'guy's' place, Sasuke?" Her emerald eyes peered in outrage.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. You're a bisexual. Great! You could be going to anybody's placing as long as they're giving it to you. Hmph." He grunted in ridicule.

"Excuse me?" Sakura was beyond furious now.

She rose from her seat and pushed her hands into his chest strongly, sending him wobbling backward.

"What the hell?" He exclaimed with his mouth gaping.

"'What the hell?'" she repeated his words, in a mocking tone. "You judged me. You judged me AGAIN, for opening up to you. And you are the one who's miffed? Oh, I don't think so. I was stupid enough to believe you and I could ever be friends and you proved how wrong I was just now. You still think I am some slutty, unstable widow with no aim in life other than to screw random men, oh wait, men AND women because that is just the way I am. And hey, who better than you to judge me right? You, the sanest person in your entire family. So yeah, go ahead. Judge me. Just like you judge everybody around you, so they can also realize what a complete imbecile you are!"

She thrusts the glass in her hand into his free hand and immediately turned on her heel heading for the door. Just as she reached the foyer a brawny arm pulls her back and turns her around, instantly trapping her with their strong arms blocking her from moving.

Emerald stares into obsidian and Sakura's gut wrenches and twists. Sasuke's dark gray eyes bore into hers and his face resonates a heat unlike any other. His face edges closer to meet hers and stops when it is almost too close for Sakura to breathe comfortably. Sasuke's lips part and the warm aroma of rum and old spice cloud her nostrils.

Sakura gasps relentlessly and waits for Sasuke to break the contact, something she would have expected yet it had been moments since he pushed her against the wall and their eyes have been locked ever since.

Sasuke's lips hover hastily over her features, the heat he breathes out spreads over her cheeks causing them to flush. She gasps again but her breath is interrupted by his lips that crash vigorously onto hers. His intoxicated eyes are now shut and Sakura gazes at his smooth face for a moment before surrendering to his restraint.

Her arms snake around his neck as she pulls him into the kiss and his lips press harder onto hers, tasting every bit of alcohol remnant on them. They kiss, lick, bite and nibble on her pink lips and hover around lapping her cheeks. She blushes gently before pushing his face towards her lips again and kissing him frantically. She bites his lower lip aggressively and his lips part in a gasp, enough to make her tongue dart inside.

The heat is only heightening as their tongue grapple against each other for control and continue to do so, lapping each other with saliva. Sakura pulls away for a breath and Sasuke hesitantly lets her before pulling her to face him again, kissing her lips fervently, licking them with his tongue which she catches with her teeth. She bites on his tongue sharply and pulls it into her mouth, sucking on it. He gives in and licks her lips meanwhile.

Somehow his hands have now traveled from the swerves of her waist to her ribs. Fingers digging into the fabric of her sweater as they moved in random ways and just as when she was about to slither away from his grasp he started squeezing on the mounds of her chest causing her to moan in pleasure. His fingers rake the sweater tediously trying to heighten the sensation. Her gasps are only approving and her lips tremble in desire. His fingers pinch her engorged nipples through her clothing and one of his hands lingers down to slide inside her sweater.

She shudders when his cold fingers make contact with her warm skin. Salacious fingers now sliding up to pull the fabric of her bra below her breasts to expose them. His lips continue their lascivious attack on hers and his tongue darts in and out of the cavity of her mouth chasing her tongue in an unceasing battle.

Her cheeks burn crimson when her breasts jerk out of their cover, and his fingers rake them passionately. His lips part from hers and a pair of charcoal eyes stare intensely into deepened emerald ones before he pinches her nipples tenderly, enough to send her spinning on her heels. She gasps and holds onto him, one hand grasping his sweater and the other wound around his neck as he continues his assault. His fingers oscillate between pinching and flicking her nipples and his lips between kissing and biting. He squeezes her breasts relentlessly and her moans permeate his ears with his every move. His lips travel lower now, trailing kisses along her jaw and neck. He bites profusely onto the soft flesh of her shoulders, sucking and biting into the skin and her lips quiver in desire. Her breasts perk up and fill up the space of her sweater that is now left vacant by Sasuke's hands which now tug at the neckline of the same clothing.

His lips aim for her chest and continue charging lower and lower, every kiss more fervent than the one before. Her lips trembled and her fingers rustle into his hair tugging at its roots in a feeble attempt to slow him. His fingers draw her breasts in view and his lips don't wait even a moment, immediately lapping fervently onto her erect nipples. Each flick of his tongue sending her head into waves of pleasure. He alternates between both breasts while keeping his hand busy on one breast, flicking the nipple and coating it with his saliva and pinching it incessantly.

Her moans resonate in the foyer loud enough for anyone outside to overhear but this apparently is not concerning either of them as they continue their intimate encounter. Sasuke is licking her nipples, coating their surface with more and more of his saliva while flicking her wet nipples. Her legs tremble and twitch with a heat of their own. Her lips peck at his forehead every time his head bobs up and her eyes roll to the back of her head as she continues to experience his passion. His teeth graze her nipples and she shivers, moaning loudly and tugging at his hair tightly. He tugged the bra over her breasts covering them again and his lips kissed the flesh of her chest moving upwards.

Just as he was about to bring his lips back to hers the television screamed clamorously.

"The KINGS defeat the Invaders, embarrassing them to a win of 118 over their 83, moving the Kings to the playoffs!"

Sasuke's eyes flung open in shock and gawked at Sakura's, she immediately brought her arms down to his chest pushing him away slightly. He sensed her uneasiness and moved a step back to give her some space. She instantly turned around and flung the door open dashing outside into the snow leaving Sasuke stunned in the foyer.

-xxx-

A week of Kakashi's complaining and crying was enough to send Sasuke out of his house. Even though he and Sakura hadn't spoken in the duration, he would still go every day to the housing county and work on the final floor plan and instruct the workers and carpenters. She hadn't come to visit the house either and things were rather dull between her parents and his parents as well. He just couldn't bother knowing what was on her mind anymore and wanted to put it all behind and get the house over with in time so that everybody could move on with their lives.

He was pretty sure she despised him now. Despite what he thought when he realized that she'd written him the letter, he wasn't so sure anymore that a puny little crush on him would sustain all the trials he'd put her through. Her reluctance to see him was no positive indication either.

His father was beyond thrilled although. Winning a half of the bet and proving to Kakashi that the Kings would easily enter the playoffs was like rubbing salt on his wounds. Kakashi had been on a daily basis visiting his father to work on a "new deal" know that Sasuke would hold up on his end and finish the house in time, which was another week. But Fugaku's growing interest in Sasuke's business was just another reason for him to flee every time his father would insist on spending some quality, "father-son bonding time" with him.

Sasuke had returned to therapy and Tsunade wasn't really surprised. He partly believed it was because perhaps even Sakura had begun coming to therapy once again, which is why Tsunade had expected him to come as well. His medication was cut down but he wasn't averse to taking them anymore. He realized that his tendencies to get possessive about people and things that weren't even supposed to be interpreted a certain way were completely wrong and he wanted to explicitly treat this issue before he hurt any more people around him.

As he drove down from Tsunade's office back home, he recalled how he had suspected Sakura was dating one of her friends given how vague she had been when answering his infinite questions. He also recalled now how she would be busy with her new job perhaps and if Homura's Travel Agency was even around the part of town he lived in.

He reached home and only found Itachi home, apparently his parents had gone shopping to Ikea for some furniture they intended to buy for some time now.

He popped open a beer and sat across from Itachi on the sofa and flicked the channels anxiously.

"How was your day, little brother?"

"Better because I didn't have to tolerate Kakashi like somebody had to," Sasuke smirked and kept on switching the channels.

"Well, you could say your day was better than mine. True. But it is quite peculiar how a certain pink-haired friend of yours isn't hanging out with you anymore. I can only wonder," Itachi returned his smirk and grazed his chin with his index finger.

"Well then, keep wondering. It is none of your business." Sasuke glared at Itachi before staring back at the flat screen.

"You like her. Obviously."

Sasuke shifted uneasily in his seat before responding, "Mind your own business, Itachi."

"You do not deny. So it is true then?" Itachi let out a deep chuckle.

"Look Itachi, I don't have the time or the patience to explain or justify anything to you today. All I am going to tell you is, you might probably never see her again. In fact, consider her out of my life once this construction work is done. She and I are no longer friends and well, will never continue to be." Sasuke's fingers curled around the bottle furiously as he got off the sofa. "And thanks for ruining my mood." He completed before walking out.

-xxx-

It had been another week. Another week filled with anxiety and vacancy of sorts. Sasuke had never felt so emotionally low. What hung from his ear's played one of Sakura's favorite "Move on" playlists she had made for him so he could move on from Ino, but ironically now it played for him so he could forget about Sakura. For a stoic person, Sasuke was sure acting quite the contrary the past few days.

The house was done, all that was left was the panels on the roofs, wallpapering and UV coating the paint. No big deal, since it would only take another couple of days and well, the bet was won.

Sasuke ran around his neighborhood in hopes of finding Sakura strolling around as well. This time he'd want to talk it out with her completely. No more half measures, vague replies or putting off the eventual. He'd be honest with her and let her know exactly what it is that he feels.

He hadn't pushed Ino out of his mind completely. She was still his wife, the divorce was still not finalized and legally he was still her husband. He even thought sometimes that maybe, just maybe if Ino saw all the efforts he had made to better himself, maybe she would come back and the riot in his head would retreat. But these were all hopes and dreams.

He was a fool for thinking Sakura would simply be walking around aimlessly in the streets at 10 in the night, which is what time it was. So he turned around and jogged back to his house, a discomfort in his chest causing every step to feel heavier than the last.

Just as he was about to walk up the stairs and open the front door, he found it open already and saw a pink-haired woman standing right before him.

-xxx-

 _ **Thank you for being patient enough for me to update this. The last and final chapter will be uploaded within the week. :)**_


	10. Letter

_**Leave a review if you enjoyed this story.**_

 _"Ain't no sunshine when she's gone_

 _It's not warm when she's away_

 _Ain't no sunshine when she's gone_

 _And she's always gone too long_

 _Anytime she goes away"_

Bill Withers' track played on a loop in Sasuke's headphones like a malady as he jogged through the street, to reach his house. His thoughts were preoccupied with how he would be breaking the news to Sakura or approaching her, given that her house was now complete. He didn't want it to be awkward, or impassioned, just the very few necessary sentences and handing her over all the keys and paperwork.

He knew she wanted nothing to do with him, and kissing her like that had only made things awkward for both of them. He wasn't even sure whether he should personally give her the keys to her house along with the paperwork or simply ask someone else to give them to her.

Since he assumed she was dating someone and that he had put up his facade of not caring so much about her feelings; he was at a disadvantage already. Which is why he'd abandoned any hope of reconciliation.

When he strode through the porch to open the front door, he was taken aback by the same pink-haired woman who had been clouding his mind for the past few days like an epidemic.

He climbed up the stairs but stood a good five feet apart from her, staring right into her eyes; the height difference forcing her to crane her neck far out. Her emerald eyes glistened even in the darkness of the night, and his eyes quickly consumed the expression in them, like he'd missed this sensation for quite a while.

There was a pertinent silence that lasted for more than a few minutes but it was calming. His heartbeat had settled into a cadence as he shifted slightly to lean onto the wooden pillar, waiting for her to speak first.

"How have you been?" Sasuke finally spoke up out of impatience.

Her feet shifted around before she replied, "Good. You?"

"Good."

Another weighty pause.

"I was going to come over to your place, to-you know, hand over the paperwork and the keys." His hand tugged his nape, chafing at the fresh growth of his hair.

"Then why didn't you?" She asked bluntly.

His eyes met hers as if ascertaining whether he'd heard her right.

"Well, uh. I am not so sure if I would have been able to." He replied in a spite of honesty.

Sakura sighed. She moved in her stance before walking past him and down the stairs as if to leave. His arm instantly twined around hers twisting her around to face him.

"I am not having you walk out on me this time." He declared.

Her eyes fluttered in a frenzy and her torso spun towards him, he stepped down to match her eye level. She nervously held her hand up curled into a fist and clenched it close to her chest in deliberation. Sasuke moved closer to her and held out his hand once again but this time in permission.

"You wanna come inside?" He asked her.

She hesitated for a moment before nodding. Her eyes crossed in strabismus and formed an array of frown lines around the crease of her eyes in surmise but she followed him into the house anyway.

He walked inside and pulled the scarf around his neck hanging it on the coat hanger before drawing his grey hoodie off his shoulders, revealing a thin white pullover. She also followed suit and hung her dark maroon overcoat on the stand before turning around to face Mikoto who stood in the living room staring at them.

Sakura cracked a small smile before Sasuke pulled her by her wrist and directed her to his room upstairs. Mikoto stared at them and her gaze trailed away as the two disappeared into his room.

Sasuke proceeded to walk towards the window that stretched across the opposing wall of his bedroom, just as the two entered. Sakura stood uneasily near the door that creaked as it spun shut on its own. Sasuke looked busy gathering the wooden logs to start a fire to heat up the room and a few minutes later he accomplished his task.

Just as he turned to face her, he noticed how drawn out she was in comparison to his enthusiasm and immediately succumbed to his emotional relapse. Bipolar was hard enough to deal with. But now there stood someone he truly cared for, right in front of him and his brain could only waver from one fluctuating thought to another.

Sakura held her fist again to her chest. It was almost a telltale for just how uncomfortable or defensive she was being. He immediately motioned her to come to sit on the bed. She moved slowly to where he'd pointed before he himself followed her.

They sat beside each other, not facing one another though and their shoulders brushed slightly when either heaved. Sakura placed her palms flat on her lap and twitched a few times almost passing as a shiver. Sasuke took note and his arms darted out pulling the quilt from behind, covering her shoulders.

She immediately crossed her arms repeatedly, cheeks all flush, "Oh no! Its okay, my body is just getting used to the temperature change. It's nothing, really." She allowed herself to complete as she retired back to her former posture and so did he.

They sat like that only until Sasuke turned to face her, several moments later. He realized that every time he would expect she would begin the conversation, he'd be proven wrong. Somehow the aggressive, defensive woman beside him would always recede into a subtler, less verbal and more perceptive form of hers.

This only bothered him. Was she guarding herself against him? Was she worried he would hurt her feelings? Did she even have the same feelings as he did? What feelings were these anyway? These were the questions he needed answers to. And he'd go to every length tonight to find them.

"How are things going for you? You said you were starting at Homura's right?"

"Oh yeah, well that is in a few more days so I suppose I'll just have to find out. I don't think it would be to occupying initially. This isn't really the holiday season anyway." She replied, her lips almost curled into a smile but passed off on it.

After a pregnant pause, he licked his chapped lips before speaking.

"Sakura, I-"

"Sasuke-"

The two immediately turned to face one another. Throats gulping simultaneously, and eyes fixed onto one another's.

"You first," Sakura lowered her face.

"No, you-"

"Sasuke, you were anyway gonna say something. So just say it. Whatever it is." She cut him off almost reflecting a little irritation in her tone.

He instantly receded his demand and settled back into his position, facing straight, before speaking.

"Sakura, I-I am sorry for the things I said to you that night. I thought I was right for having called you out on your personal business, for mistreating you and hurting your feelings. I had no respect for the amount of faith you had placed in me, and I used that negatively only to lash out at you because of how mentally confined my mindset was. I was stupid, selfish and faithless in our friendship and you had every right to have walked out on me like that. And then-"

Her eyes shifted directly to meet his. Instantly he was calm and he continued.

"And then. We... we kissed and all of that happened. I didn't even know I felt that way about you." Sakura's eyes widened for a second. As he spoke, "I am not trying to win back your confidence Sakura, but even a sliver of it would do right now. Just, please, just forgive me if you can."

His obsidian orbs were transfixed to hers. The fire flared for a fraction of a second and their gaze broke. Both of them lowered their eyes. Sasuke swallowed as his finger thread through his hair, his eyes now contemplating what would he do if she didn't forgive him or simply walked out on him again.

Instead, he received a warm embrace. She held onto him with both arms clasping his back tightly and her face pressed into his warm chest. His eyes instantly widened but settled again as he brought his arms to encircle her the way she'd done to him.

They held each other like that for what one could have called an eternity, but to them, it probably felt too short a moment to recoil from.

"Sakura, I have been meaning to tell you something important apart from just this," his voice muffled through the fuzz of her hair yet sounded so soothing, "I really don't know how you are going to feel about this but, I truly cannot bring myself to go on without letting you know. The thing is, I think I-"

He heard her faint snoring as he pulled himself away from her grasp a little to tilt his face deeper and look carefully to be sure. And he was right, she'd fallen asleep just like that, probably out of exhaustion.

He smirked and delicately pulled her close to him and put one arm below her knees, gently laying her on the bed completely before tucking her in.

He stood beside his bed watching over her for a while, before turning around and walking out of the room.

 **-x-**

What awakened Sakura was probably the faint smell of Okonomiyaki being prepared in the kitchen, along with fried vegetables perhaps. She'd just have to go downstairs to check on what her mother was making to be sure.

This is when it struck her that she wasn't even in her own bedroom but in a totally unusual surrounding. It took her a few moments to realize she was in Sasuke's bedroom and the recollections from last night hit her like a tidal wave.

She recalled his apology, the hug and then her passing out. Nothing apart from that. God her parents must be worried about her. Just as she placed her palms flat onto the mattress to pull up and get off the bed, her fingers pressed against a piece of paper and something cold.

Her eyes fell upon a note he'd left her and a set of brand new keys. It didn't take an intelligent to figure out what they were yet her face turned crimson and tears welled up in her eyes.

Tears ran down her cheeks as she held the note in her hand that read-

'Will be back by the afternoon, gone to take care of something. -Sasuke.'

She wiped her cheeks blank, before holding the keys between her fingers and looking at them intently. Suddenly the door creaked open and a blob of black appeared.

"Oh, you're awake. Good, good. I was just making another batch of those pancakes, do you want to come downstairs and have a bite or do you want me to bring them here for you?" Mikoto beamed with delight.

Her eyes scanned Sakura's hands as they fell upon the shiny keys they held.

"Oh my, so he finally gave them to you. Must have been quite the conversation you two might have had last night." Mikoto muttered before stepping closer to the bed. Sakura folded her legs and coiled her arms around her knees. Mikoto sat right in front of her.

"What is it honey, you seem quite worried?"

"Oh no, well I am just thrilled but I need to be going home now since my parents must be worried about where I am. But then I won't be able to thank Sasuke and I can't really stay here until he comes back because I don't know when he would be back because it didn't say in the note. And the note wasn't really all that crumpled so I am assuming he wrote it just a while ago which means if he just left he'll probably be back late so that just means-"

Mikoto cut her off by placing her index finger to her lips and chuckling relentlessly. Sakura blushed at her own distressed babbling.

"Well, at least I am glad you two are talking again." Mikoto relieved her and smiled softly. Sakura turned to look at her and her eyes widened before she turned away again.

"Say, Sakura. Do you like my son?" she asked this time in a more earnest tone.

Sakura twitched, before turning to face her again, she only stared point blank and nodded timidly.

"Well, at least you have MY blessing," Mikoto finished and smiled again, bobbing her head to a side.

Sakura's eyes widened again as she watched Mikoto get up and walk towards the door.

"Come on downstairs and have breakfast alright? The hot water is still running, go shower." Mikoto said cheerily while standing in the doorway as her hand rested on the frame. She smiled and left as soon as Sakura got off the bed as well.

Sakura called up her parents once she had finished showering and had the Okonomiyaki Mikoto prepared for her. She sat on the sofa holding the cordless in her hand.

"Yeah mom, I was pretty tired so I konked off here itself, hehe..." Sakura laughed nervously while explaining to her parents on the phone.

"Oh, he did. Oh, okay. Well, I'll be there in half an hour so don't worry." She continued before tapping the call end button.

She got off the sofa and placed the phone back in its pod before turning to face Mikoto who was cutting vegetables on the dining table.

"I'll get going now, Mikoto." Sakura gently smiled as she turned around.

"Sakura."

Sakura turned around to face her again.

"If it is something that you must tell Sasuke, tell him before you regret not telling him." She glanced over the vegetables she was cutting and returned the smile before turning back to look at the cutting board.

Sakura's eyes widened and heat surfaced on her cheeks. Her knees pushed her towards the door and she made her way out. Mikoto only stared at the pinkette shuffle away as she kept on cutting.

 **-x-**

Sakura ruffled through the porch and made her way into her house. She pulled the new pair of keys she'd been gifted and quickly hung them onto the keyholder fixed on the wall. Instantly, Mebuki appeared from behind and her eyes swelled at the sight of them.

"Is that...?"

"Yup."

"Oh, Sakura..."

"Heh, mom. You guys can finally get rid of me now eh?" Sakura finished for her mother as she scraped at her cheek.

Mebuki quickly brought her in for a hug. It was dense, warm and emotional. Sakura could even hear through her mother's grasp the muffled sobs that ran through the little space between them.

Kizashi suddenly walked past the sight and stopped in his tracks. Sakura instantly jerked a little as she took notice but did not budge from her mother's embrace. Kizashi simply smiled and walked away.

 **-x-**

It had been hours Sakura had been staring at photo albums, of her and Neji. Some albums, filled to the edges and some with pictures of friends Sakura hadn't seen in the past few years. She packed every album neatly into a velvet bag and stuffed them in her drawers.

She turned to her dresser and looked at herself in the mirror. Her smile was unlike any other she had felt from the past few years. For the first time in a long time, Sakura was sure she knew what she had to do.

Christmas shone brightly in the streets, as she finally decided to step out of the house. Sakura walked on the footpath with the hands tucked deep into the pockets of her trench coat. Her hair whisked past her flush cheeks as she concealed the gentle smile that had begun to form on her lips. She finally knew what she had to say to Sasuke.

Just as she reached the porch of his house, her eyes froze at the sight before her. Through the windows she could see familiar figures; Ino was standing right beside Sasuke as the two shared a laugh with a glass of wine in their hands. They seemed...happy to her disbelief. Her heart felt a sharp pain, almost as if real as she turned on her heel and walked away.

"Sakura!" she heard her name being shouted. It was Itachi. He stood in the doorway and called her name out again.

"Sakura!" This time louder. She was sure this would have grabbed Sasuke's attention by now so she walked faster. Just as she was about to hit the curb down the street an arm grabbed her from behind and turned her around to face them.

"Sakura... what's the matter?" Sasuke asked almost not realizing that she must have seen him and Ino together.

"No, I shouldn't have come here. Really, I mean you were having a good time with Ino and I just ruined it, didn't I?" Sakura turned away from him. A tear almost escaping her eyes, as she released her hand from his grasp and moved a few steps away.

"What Ino? No... no. You got it all wrong. Sakura, wait. I have something to give you. Just, just at least take it before you leave." He frantically spoke as he pulled a letter out of his jacket's pocket.

"I have one more letter for you to read, okay?" He said as he handed her the letter.

"What? What the fuck is the matter with you?" Sakura screamed in anguish almost mistaking the letter to be addressed to Ino.

"Let me say something. You don't ever have to see me again if you just read it, alright?" He pleaded.

Her eyes met his as she saw the hopelessness in them. She held the letter and turned it open in her hands. "This is so fucked up," Her tears had spread across her cheeks and soaked into them.

"Yeah just read it," Sasuke said.

"Dear Sakura..."

She stops, surprised it is addressed to her.

"...I know you wrote the letter. " Sakura pauses before reading again, "The only way you could meet my crazy..." Her eyes met his for a brief second before he begins reciting the letter on his own right from where she left off.

"...was by doing something crazy yourself. Thank you. I love you. I knew it the minute I met you. I'm sorry it took so long for me to catch up. I just got stuck. Sasuke." I wrote that a week ago.

"You wrote that a week ago?"

"Yeah," Sasuke tucked the letter back into his pocket.

"And you let me lie to you for a week?" Sakura asked in extreme astonish.

"I was trying to be romantic, Sakura."

"You love me?" Her tears stroked her cheeks again.

"Yes, I do." Were the only words that escaped Sasuke's lips before they met Sakura's.

 _ **THE END 3**_


End file.
